Ann Gauger: Did the Human Brain Evolve?

[Patrick]

@Michael_Callen

I read on another post (that Joshua linked me to earlier in this thread) that brain size was not correlated to intelligence… neuron count was. I’m curious what caused the neuron count to increase at such a great rate fairly recently. I still disagree with you, though, regarding the cart and the horse. You have cognitive ability being accelerated not by evolution but by culture, language, and tool making . It seems that the ability or capacity would need to be in place first, and the evidences would follow.

I agree that is it neuron count and more importantly synapse connections (more neurons connected to more neurons) It is experiences that increase the number of synapses. The big brain was there first and then culture, language and tool making accelerated neuron count and synaptic connections. We see this in children, and how they learn. They are much more cognitively advanced at an earlier age now.