Neocortex size predicts deception rate in primates

Byrne, Richard W.; Corp, Nadia

doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2780

Cited by 273 publications

(186 citation statements)

References 63 publications

(71 reference statements)

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“…Across primates, support for multiple, nonexclusive hypotheses for enlarged brain (particularly neocortex) size has been identified in comparative studies, emphasizing the roles of social complexity (e.g., group size) (28,29), ecological intelligence (e.g., dietary complexity) (30,31), technical intelligence (e.g., tool use and technical innovation) (21,25,32), and behavioral complexity (e.g., innovativeness, social learning, and tactical deception) (21,25,33). Further, several comparative studies have found that larger brained primates have slower life histories, including longer juvenile periods and overall lifespans (e.g., ref.…”

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confidence: 99%

Coevolution of cultural intelligence, extended life history, sociality, and brain size in primates

Street

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et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Explanations for primate brain expansion and the evolution of human cognition and culture remain contentious despite extensive research. While multiple comparative analyses have investigated variation in brain size across primate species, very few have addressed why primates vary in how much they use social learning. Here, we evaluate the hypothesis that the enhanced reliance on socially transmitted behavior observed in some primates has coevolved with enlarged brains, complex sociality, and extended lifespans. Using recently developed phylogenetic comparative methods we show that, across primate species, a measure of social learning proclivity increases with absolute and relative brain volume, longevity (specifically reproductive lifespan), and social group size, correcting for research effort. We also confirm relationships of absolute and relative brain volume with longevity (both juvenile period and reproductive lifespan) and social group size, although longevity is generally the stronger predictor. Relationships between social learning, brain volume, and longevity remain when controlling for maternal investment and are therefore not simply explained as a by-product of the generally slower life history expected for larger brained species. Our findings suggest that both brain expansion and high reliance on culturally transmitted behavior coevolved with sociality and extended lifespan in primates. This coevolution is consistent with the hypothesis that the evolution of large brains, sociality, and long lifespans has promoted reliance on culture, with reliance on culture in turn driving further increases in brain volume, cognitive abilities, and lifespans in some primate lineages. cultural evolution | social learning | brain evolution | primates | phylogenetic comparative analysis

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confidence: 99%

Coevolution of cultural intelligence, extended life history, sociality, and brain size in primates

Street

Navarrete

Reader

et al. 2017

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

170

130

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“…Both EQ and SNQ, however, fail to take into consideration absolute size of brain structures, which has been shown to be related to some abilities, like deception in primates (Byrne and Corp, 2004). By definition, a large brain of large EQ would be expected to have much more excess brain mass than a small brain of similarly large EQ.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Encephalization, Neuronal Excess, and Neuronal Index in Rodents

Herculano‐Houzel

2007

The Anatomical Record

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Encephalization, or brain size larger than expected from body size, has long been considered to correlate with improved cognitive abilities across species and even intelligence. However, it is still unknown what characteristics of relatively large brains underlie their improved functions. Here, it is shown that more encephalized rodent species have the number of neurons expected for their brain size, but a larger number of neurons than expected for their body size. The number of neurons in excess relative to body size might be available for improved associative functions and, thus, be responsible for the cognitive advantage observed in more encephalized animals. It is further proposed that, if such neuronal excess does provide for improved cognitive abilities, then the total number of excess neurons in each species-here dubbed the neuronal index-should be a better indicator of cognitive abilities than the encephalization quotient (EQ). Because the neuronal index is a function of both the number of neurons expected from the size of the body and the absolute number of neurons in the brain, differences in this parameter across species that share similar EQs might explain why these often have different cognitive capabilities, particularly when comparing across mammalian orders.

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“…It has also been noted that a variety of brain size variables in primates correlate positively with measures of social complexity, such as group size, deceptive behaviour, or strength of social bonds (Barton, 1996(Barton, , 1999Byrne & Corp, 2004;Dunbar, 1998;Dunbar & Shultz, 2007). This has been taken to suggest that large groups, and social complexity that emerges from them, have acted as a primary selection force favouring the evolution of increased brain size.…”

Section: Evolutionary Theories Of Primate Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 99%