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Related Experiment Videos

Understanding primate brain evolution.

R I M Dunbar1, Susanne Shultz

  • 1British Academy Centenary Research Project, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK. rimd@liv.ac.uk

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|February 16, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Primate brain evolution, specifically neocortex size, is tightly coevolved with sociality. Ecological and life-history factors constrain this relationship, influencing both brain and social group size.

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Area of Science:

  • Comparative neuroanatomy
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Primatology

Background:

  • The relationship between brain size and social behavior is a key topic in evolutionary biology.
  • Previous studies suggest a link between neocortex size and social complexity, but the underlying mechanisms and constraints are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reanalyze primate brain data and model the coevolution of the neocortex and sociality.
  • To investigate the roles of ecological and life-history factors as constraints on this coevolutionary process.
  • To clarify the nuances of the social brain hypothesis, emphasizing social complexity over mere group size.

Main Methods:

  • Path analysis was used to model the coevolutionary relationships between brain components, sociality, and ecological/life-history variables.

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  • Comparative brain data from primates was reanalyzed.
  • A review of wider mammalian and primate literature was conducted to support findings.

    • Main Results:

    • Body size, basal metabolic rate, and life history act as constraints, influencing the coevolution of neocortex and group size, but do not solely determine them.
    • The coevolutionary relationship between brain and sociality in primates is specific to the neocortex.
    • Evolving a large neocortex requires a larger overall brain, necessitating dietary and life-history adjustments.

    Conclusions:

    • The primate neocortex and sociality are locked in a tight coevolutionary system, constrained by ecological and life-history factors.
    • The social brain hypothesis is better understood as relating to social complexity rather than just group size.
    • Understanding the localization of social effects within mammalian and primate brains is crucial for comprehending brain evolution.