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Re: Brain development.
Steve Nicholas (steve.nicholas@AIRGUN.WG.WAII.COM)
Wed, 1 Feb 1995 16:27:07 +0000
Is it possible that the 'intelligence' niche had never been filled
evolutionally thus paving the way for a very rapid filling of that
niche? Is that the way it goes?
Is intelligence 'just another asset' just like looking like a stick is to
a stick insect or is there something 'special', something 'different'
about man's presence as the dominant species (or is this not the case)?
On Wed, 1 Feb 1995, Ralph L Holloway wrote:
>
> Good question. In the narrow sense of brain/intelligence (rather than,
> say, bipedalism and ecological extension, etc) the human case is pretty
> anamolous, although there are episodes in other animal evolutionary
> histories where brain size increase took place, as in the horse family,
> and to other smaller degrees in carnivores. We would need a really much
> expanded and more complete fossil record for all animals to really answer
> the question. But oither "...advantageous assests..." could means a
> "dramatic" change in some other morphological pattern such as the
> dentition and diet, horse digit reduction, cetacean evoution from a
> terrestrial base, etc., etc.
> Ralph Holloway.
> On Wed, 1 Feb 1995, Steve Nicholas wrote:
>
> > Is there evidence to suggest that the dramatic increase in human brain
> > size/intelligence is anomolous as compared to the evolutional
> > development of advantageous assets by other species?
> >
> > --
> > Steve Nicholas
> > Western Geophysical, Manton Lane, BEDFORD, Beds., MK42 7PA, UK.
> > Steve.Nicholas@wg.waii.com | Phone +44 1234 224411 | Fax +44 1234 224507
> >
> >
> >
>
--
Steve Nicholas
Western Geophysical, Manton Lane, BEDFORD, Beds., MK42 7PA, UK.
Steve.Nicholas@wg.waii.com | Phone +44 1234 224411 | Fax +44 1234 224507
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