Study questions whether natural selection drove human brain size increase
By
Michael Marshall
Summary
A new analysis of fossil skulls suggests that the increase in human brain size over the past 2 million years may not have been driven by natural selection. While brain size did increase and facial size decreased over time, researchers led by Katerina Harvati found no strong evidence that evolution actively favoured larger brains. This challenges the common assumption that our large brains evolved because they provided a clear evolutionary advantage.
Source
Twitter / XStudy questions whether natural selection drove human brain size increasenewscientist.comKey quotes
· 2 pulledThere is indeed an increase in brain size through time, and there is indeed a reduction of facial size with time
However, this doesn't appear to have been driven by natural selection
You might also wanna read
Larger brain, smaller face: Human evolution took a different course than previously thought
Sensorimotor Complexity and Cognition as Predictors of Primate Brain Size
This article investigates the relationship between brain size and various brain functions across primate species. It examines whether cognit
onlinelibrary.wiley.com·1mo ago
Study of 386 fossils reveals human body size jumped late in evolution, not gradually
A peer-reviewed study published in PNAS by researchers at the University of Reading and University of Oxford analyzed body weight data from
disabled-world.com·13d ago
Oxford study links human right-handedness to bipedalism and brain expansion
A new Oxford-led study published in PLOS Biology explains why humans are the only primates with a population-wide right-hand preference. Res
ox.ac.uk·1mo ago
Debate Over Human Sexual Dimorphism Highlights How Assumptions Shape Scientific Hypotheses
This article analyzes a debate between Holly Dunsworth and Jerry Coyne about the evolution of sexual dimorphism in humans, specifically why
prosocial.world·21d agoOxford study reveals ancient genome duplications enabled evolution of complex vertebrate brains
A new Oxford-led study reveals that whole-genome duplication events in early vertebrate evolution provided the genetic raw material for the
ox.ac.uk·22d ago
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.