Evolution
Despite
what we've been taught in pre-school, brain will not always beat brawn.
A group of researchers from UCL, University of Konstanz and the Max
Planck Institute for Ornithology has discovered that the relationship
between brain size and body size was driven by completely different
evolutionary mechanisms in different animals.
The researchers gathered data on brain mass and body mass for hundr
eds
of modern and extinct primates, carnivorans and bats. From there on
out, they compared the relative brain size (Ratio of brain size to body
size) of the organisms and attempted to find out if there was a trend in
the evolution of these traits.
In the research, they
discovered that changes in body size and brain size occur independently
of each other. Furthermore, the type of change that was observed varied
between the different groups of animals. While it had so far been
thought that brain size was the most important factor in determining
relative brain size, this research discovered that body size may play a
much greater role in the relationship. For example, bats decreased body
size much faster than they decreased brain size. This offered improved
aerial agility without sacrificing too much brainpower.
In
primates, brain size decreased slightly faster than body size and
carnivorans saw more change in body shape and size than in brain size.
The scientists think that the common misconception that relative brain
size is a consequence of selection for intelligence conceals the fact
that body size is often more important in the long run.
Read the full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Image Credit: http://tangyauhoong.com/
Despite
what we've been taught in pre-school, brain will not always beat brawn.
A group of researchers from UCL, University of Konstanz and the Max
Planck Institute for Ornithology has discovered that the relationship
between brain size and body size was driven by completely different
evolutionary mechanisms in different animals.
The researchers gathered data on brain mass and body mass for hundr
The researchers gathered data on brain mass and body mass for hundr
eds
of modern and extinct primates, carnivorans and bats. From there on
out, they compared the relative brain size (Ratio of brain size to body
size) of the organisms and attempted to find out if there was a trend in
the evolution of these traits.
In the research, they discovered that changes in body size and brain size occur independently of each other. Furthermore, the type of change that was observed varied between the different groups of animals. While it had so far been thought that brain size was the most important factor in determining relative brain size, this research discovered that body size may play a much greater role in the relationship. For example, bats decreased body size much faster than they decreased brain size. This offered improved aerial agility without sacrificing too much brainpower.
In primates, brain size decreased slightly faster than body size and carnivorans saw more change in body shape and size than in brain size.
The scientists think that the common misconception that relative brain size is a consequence of selection for intelligence conceals the fact that body size is often more important in the long run.
Read the full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Image Credit: http://tangyauhoong.com/
In the research, they discovered that changes in body size and brain size occur independently of each other. Furthermore, the type of change that was observed varied between the different groups of animals. While it had so far been thought that brain size was the most important factor in determining relative brain size, this research discovered that body size may play a much greater role in the relationship. For example, bats decreased body size much faster than they decreased brain size. This offered improved aerial agility without sacrificing too much brainpower.
In primates, brain size decreased slightly faster than body size and carnivorans saw more change in body shape and size than in brain size.
The scientists think that the common misconception that relative brain size is a consequence of selection for intelligence conceals the fact that body size is often more important in the long run.
Read the full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Image Credit: http://tangyauhoong.com/
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