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Thought for food: the endothermic brain hypothesis
Mathias Osvath1, Pavel Němec2, Stephen L Brusatte3
1Department of Philosophy, Division of Cognitive Science, The Cognitive Zoology Group, Lund University, Box 192, 221 00, Lund, Sweden.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|September 6, 2024
Summary
Endothermy in dinosaurs and mammals drove significant brain evolution, increasing neurons and brain structures. This "endothermic brain hypothesis" suggests these changes supported efficient foraging to meet higher caloric needs.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Neuroscience
- Paleontology
Background:
- Whole-body endothermy evolved independently in dinosaurs and mammals.
- This metabolic shift coincided with major neurocognitive changes, including a 20-fold neuron increase and new brain structures.
- These brain elaborations suggest adaptations for enhanced cognitive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose the endothermic brain hypothesis, linking brain evolution in endotherms to increased caloric intake.
- To explore the coevolution of metabolism, cognition, and foraging strategies.
- To identify research avenues for investigating the interplay between endothermy and brain development.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of brain anatomy and behavior across endothermic lineages (dinosaurs, mammals).
- Integration of paleontological data to infer cognitive and metabolic evolution in fossil species.
- Theoretical framework grounded in the relationship between cognition and organismic self-maintenance.
Main Results:
- The endothermic brain hypothesis posits that brain elaborations were driven by the need for efficient foraging to support higher metabolic rates.
- Cognitive and metabolic evolution are intrinsically linked, with brain changes supporting enhanced foraging and caloric intake.
- Similar neurocognitive shifts occurred independently in avian dinosaurs and mammals, suggesting convergent evolution driven by endothermy.
Conclusions:
- Endothermy spurred significant brain evolution geared towards efficient foraging and caloric intake.
- Future research should jointly investigate the coevolution of metabolism, cognition, and behavior using comparative and fossil studies.
- Understanding the endothermic brain hypothesis requires interdisciplinary approaches combining neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and paleontology.
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