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U0 Anthropology 203 > Exam review, Evolution of Cognition > Flashcards

Exam review, Evolution of Cognition Flashcards

1
Q

what is Encephalization

A

is the increase in brain size, relative to body size

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2
Q

The trouble with a focus on brain size and cranial capacity is that what

A

it measures only the dimensions of the brain, not neural activity or structural complexity

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3
Q

where does the majority of brain activity takes place

A

The relatively thin cerebral cortex

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4
Q

Humans have highly textured brains, allowing for more overall what

A

cortical surface

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5
Q

how many neurons in the human brain

A

85 billion neurons in the human brain

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6
Q

what are the three major regions of the brain

A

the cerebrum
• the cerebellum
functions)
• the brain stem

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7
Q

what does the cerebrum

A

(“higher functions”)

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8
Q

what is the cerebellum

A

(motor & muscles

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9
Q

what is the brain stem

A

(“core functions” i.e. breathing, heartbeat, etc.)

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10
Q

what are Endocasts

A

are replicas of the insides of early and modern human braincases. They represent the size and shape of the brains that once occupied the braincases

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11
Q

what is Paleoneurology

A

The study of the evolution of the brain structure and function

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12
Q

what is EQ (Encephalization Quotient)

A

The ratio of actual brain size of a species to the expected brain size of an “average” mammal of that particular body size

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13
Q

what tends to have the largest EQ

A

n the animal kingdom, proportionally larger brains differentiate all mammals from reptiles, and among mammals primates tend to have the largest “encephalization quotient” (EQ)

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14
Q

Different sources cite different EQ values for humans; EQ is what kind of ratio

A

a sample-dependent ratio

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15
Q

why must we must be cautious about comparing specific species

A

The hominin fossil record is fragmentary and incomplete

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16
Q

how does EQ and Hominin Evolution relate to

Autralopithecines & Paranthropines

A

Early hominins are smaller in body size to great apes, but have equally sized brains.
• Therefore, gracile and robust early hominins were more encephalized than modern great apes

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17
Q

how does EQ and Hominin Evolution relate to

Early Genus Homo

A

H. habilis has a relatively small body, but a brain size that overlaps with the largest gorillas.
• H. erectus/ergaster’s leap in body size coincides with a proportionately faster leap in brain size

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18
Q

EQ and Hominin Evolution relate to

Archaic Hominins & AMH

A

The jump from H. erectus cc to Archaic hominin cc is the most accelerated in the fossil record!
• AMHs are more encephalized than Neanderthals because they are smaller, but have brains of nearly equal size

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19
Q

Over the last 6 million years: brain size has…

A

has increased absolutely and relatively (to body size)

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20
Q

In last 2 million years: increases to brain size….

A

have sped up, while increases to body size have slowed

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21
Q

is encephalization an important evolutionary adaptation for humans

A

yep

22
Q

what are the Hominin Encephalization

A

Tool Use (“Man the Tool-Maker”)
Hunting (“Man the Hunter”)
Social Intelligence Hypothesis

23
Q

what is the Tool Use (“Man the Tool-Maker”) theory

A

Stone tool making required complex conceptual abilities, forethought, planning, & better motor coordination

24
Q

what are the problems with the Tool Use (“Man the Tool-Maker”) theory

A

Chimps make simple tools in the wild and can be taught to make stone tools, so a large brain is not necessary.
• Encephalization trend begins EARLIER than stone tools appear (~6 mya vs 3.3 mya).
• Major changes in brain size occur when there are only slight changes in stone tools

25
Q

what is the Hunting (“Man the Hunter”) theory

A

Hunting selected for larger brains because it required:
• more sophisticated knowledge of the environment,
• the ability to plan complex strategies
• better cognitive skills to manipulate the complex social relationships inherent in a social life involving food-sharing

26
Q

what is the problem with the Hunting (“Man the Hunter”) theory

A

Encephalization was occurring BEFORE there is any clear evidence for hunting or food-sharing.
• Some carnivores (lions) use complex ambush strategies without large brains or language

27
Q

what is the Social Intelligence Hypothesis

A

The intellectual requirements of increasing social complexity was the main stimulus for encephalization. Required:
• Sharper social skills
• Better communication
• Technology and hunting also contributed, but these were not the prime movers

28
Q

what is the problem with the Social Intelligence Hypothesis

A

Many primate societies have complex social behaviors, but no trend toward encephalization

29
Q

what are the problems with the brain

A

An Expensive Organ

Childbirth and Growth

30
Q

why is the brain as An Expensive Organ a probelm

A

In humans:
• 2% of human body weight
• 20% - 25% oxygen supply & blood flow
• Other great apes can’t afford the metabolic cost for both large body size and neurons, so there is a trade-off.
• Suzana Herculano-Houzel (neuroscientist) says cooking offset this trade-off in humans (TED TALK)

31
Q

why is Childbirth and Growth a problem with the brain

A

Because brain tissue grows less than other tissues, large brains mean babies are born with larger heads, causing problems in delivery.
• This means that as hominin brains became bigger, babies had to be born EARLIER in their development (allowed for more brain growth after birth).
• This created a much longer period of infant dependency, requiring much more time and effort to care for and rear offspring.

32
Q

what is Intelligence

A

The ability to engage in flexible, problem- solving behavior

33
Q

Characteristics of the modern mind include

A

Self awareness
• Memory
• Awareness of the future
• Analogical reasoning (recognizing likeness)
• Symbolization - Making one thing stand for another. This is essential in language.
Animals possess SOME, but not all of these characteristics.

34
Q

what is The Great Debate of Cognitive Evolution

A

Evolution of intelligence and the mind MAY OR MAY NOT be linked in a simple way to changes in brain size. The presence or absence of such a link is currently being debated

35
Q

what are the 2 positions in the cognitive evolution debate

A

generalized and modular

36
Q

what is the generalist view

A

Intelligence in hominins is a unitary phenomenon that is linked to gradual increases in brain size.
• In other words, the brain is a generalized computer in which “intelligence” is determined by its size and complexity

37
Q

what is the modular view

A

Intelligence is “modular” (i.e. partitioned into different functions), with different modules controlled by different circuits in the brain.
• In this view, overall “intelligence” is much more complex, and is determined by a combination of overall computing capacity AND the degree to which the modules are connected with each other.

38
Q

what is Evidence for General Intelligence

A

Studies of animals in general show a close correlation between “intelligence” and larger brains when you control for body size and eliminate the parts of the brain that only control physiological functions (dolphins and African Gray Parrots for example)

39
Q

what is Evidence for Modular Intelligence

A

There is evidence for modularity in a few animal species.
• Example: Jays can remember where they hid thousands of individual acorns, but they perform poorly on some other types of intelligence tests that don’t involve memory

40
Q

Gardiner and other psychologists and linguists proposed a model of the mind as a set of what

A

modules (multiple intelligences).

41
Q

Archaeologist Steven Mithin has applied this modular theory to human evolution. His multiple intelligences are

A 
Generalized Intelligence
Social Intelligence
Natural History Intelligence
Technical Intelligence
Linguistic Intelligence
42
Q

what is Generalized Intelligence

A

A small core of basic memory and learning skills necessary for survival. (This is present to some degree in ALL mammals.)

43
Q

what is Social Intelligence

A

Concerned with social interactions. This is more highly developed in primates than in most other mammals, so our early ancestors probably had a well developed social intelligence module

44
Q

what is Natural History Intelligence:

A

Knowledge of the environment, including food sources, shelter, and predator-avoidance.

45
Q

what is Technical Intelligence:

A

Use and manufacture of tools. The earliest evidence is stone tools, but before that our ancestors probably had chimp-like tool-using behaviors

46
Q

what is Linguistic Intelligence:

A

TRUE LANGUAGE, with sounds standing for things and concepts and rules of grammar and syntax

47
Q

what does Mithin argue about the cognitive leap

A 
that the “cognitive leap” occurred when the linguistic module grew to overlap and link the other modules.
• Supposed this occurred suddenly at c. 50- 45,000 BP, possibly facilitated by a neurological reorganization of the brain
48
Q

what is Evidence for Modular Intelligence

A

Archaic Hominins (BEFORE AMH):
• Successful hunting strategies + great skill in stone tool manufacture.
• BUT, Archaics were rigid in other behaviours and lacked innovation in some.
• No evidence of decoration or obviously symbolic artifacts before Upper Paleolithic

However, our ideas of how early these innovations appear is updating with every passing year

49
Q

what are alternate hypothesis’

A

the CAPACITY for complex cognition may have evolved long before complex thought patterns actually developed.
• By c. 50,000 BP: human population densities had increased to the point that groups were interacting with each other much more frequently, creating the conditions for the cumulative nature of culture to create and reinforce behavioral complexity

50
Q

what is evidence for “earlier” innovation

A

2014 discovery
• Maros Caves, Sulawesi, Indonesia
• Cave paintings • ~ 40 kya

U0 Anthropology 203 (43 decks)

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