The hypothesis is old, and at first glance seems like common sense: a larger brain, the more advanced cognitive abilities, such as generating innovation, flexibility and self-control behavior. But there is a rival hypothesis that intelligence evolves to manage social interactions and allow animals to anticipate the actions of others, respond to them and manipulate them. Scientists at the University of Wyoming (USA) have solved the hard way: by subjecting 39 species of mammals to test intelligent problem solving. Win big brain Bear, small brain loses mongoose. And they lose the defenders of the social brain hypothesis. Here what matters is not society, but the size.
To be more exact, the essential parameter is the absolute size of the brain, but its relative size to the body. The reason is that a large body requires a large brain for trivial reasons: more neurons are needed to control more muscle cells. What evolutionists mean by an increase in brain size, or encephalization, it is increasing its proportion to body size. For example, a hypothetical species that reduced his body only from the neck down would encefalizado.
Experiment 140 copies
Sarah Benson-Amram, Department of Zoology University of Wyoming, together with colleagues from Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota, has studied a broad representation of carnivores. Some species are familiar, at least for the spectators of the 2 polar -osos, arctic foxes, tigers, river otters, wolves, hyenas moteadas-, and others less so: the binturong (bear-cat or black), leopard snow, wolverine (Gulo gulo) Wolverine or Alaska, and thus up to 140 copies of 39 species investigated in nine zoos in the United States.
No comments:
Post a Comment