Ev Factors In The Development Of Human Intelligence

Question 1

AO1

Brain size
Ecological demands
Group size - Dunbar’s number

Answer 1

Brain size - humans use 22%, chimps use 8% - so must have advantage - only just fit through birth canal and have potential to be straggled by umbilical cord - humans born after 9 months - bigger brain = int

Ecological demands - bipedalism had led to increased intelligence as it allows us to flee predators, run faster and further and keep hands free
Diet has changed from folivore to frugivore - demonstrated increased cog ability as fruit is scarcer and harder to find

Group size - Dunbar - 150 = optimum group size - average members in Church congregation, doomsday records
Based on ratio of neocortex to rest of brain - pos correlation between neocortex size and increased social group size
Allows alliances to be made

Question 2

AO2

Einstein
Kolb and Whishaw
Gender bias
Evolutionary approach

Answer 2

Einstein - average size - some areas smaller than average - parietal lobe v densely packed with neurons and glials - biochem imp

Kolb and Whishaw - neathanderthal brains actually larger than ours even though they weren’t as intelligent / we know this because they did not make our advancements

Gender bias - 1261 American brains - men regardless of ethnicity have larger brains but in IQ tests there is no diff

Ev approach - biochemistry important, social factors etc but ignored