British scientists have found that the development of the human brain in all species of ancient humans occurred gradually, and not in sharp leaps. Research results It was published In PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).
Researchers have collected extensive data and used modern analytical techniques to fill in gaps in the fossil record and create a more accurate picture of changes in brain size in ancient humans. The analysis covered seven million years of human evolution.
According to scientists, the increase in the size of the human brain occurred gradually, resembling improvements in the “internal functions” of a species, rather than revolutionary changes associated with the transition from one species to another. This finding casts doubt on previous theories that brain development is associated with major evolutionary leaps.
Additionally, the study showed that there is a connection between body and brain sizes of different species, but that this connection is not as pronounced within a species. This discovery highlights the complexity of evolutionary processes in which not only physical parameters but also more complex mechanisms play an important role.
Previous scientists I learnedThat Neanderthals were fond of one of the hobbies of modern humans.