Brain expansion (Evolution)

by dhw, Saturday, August 15, 2020, 12:27 (1559 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: The only confirmation is shrinkage under the complexification process, while small precise areas thicken slightly.

dhw: Thank you for your generous addition of shrinkage as confirmation, but no, shrinkage was merely the result of complexification’s enhanced efficiency. The confirmation lies in the fact that the modern brain RESPONDS to new requirements; it does not complexify or expand in anticipation of new requirements.

DAVID: It appeared fully prepared to fulfill all our future requirements. It didn't have to expand as it already was at arrival. It doesn't support your 'natural' expansion theory.

The ‘natural’ expansion theory is that the brain initially expanded because of the need to meet an unknown new requirement that the smaller brain could not meet. We do not know why it then stopped expanding, leaving complexification to take over, but I have suggested that further expansion would have created major problems for the rest of the anatomy. For the latest “evidence” see below.

dhw: […] the fact that parts of the brain expand in order to meet new requirements suggests that the major expansions of the past might also have been in response to new requirements.

DAVID: Our brain was so large in advance of any new uses it automatically tucked new uses into very small areas with the complexification mechanism it was given to use.

Yes, instead of expanding, the brain implemented new ideas by complexifying.

DAVID: Took another look at current articles:
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2018/01/25/First-came-Homo-sapiens-then-came-the-moder...

QUOTES: "New analysis suggests the development of the modern human brain was a late chapter in the evolutionary history of the Homo sapien."

"Researchers measured the endocasts of a variety of Homo sapien specimens, from ancient to modern. The measurements reveal a gradual transition from an elongated endocranial shape to a more globular brain."

"Only fossils younger than 35,000 years feature a globular braincase shape similar to those found among of modern humans."

"The transformation was associated with two cerebral processes, parietal and cerebellar bulging. Parietal systems are essential orientation, attention, perception, motor control, self-awareness, memory and more. The cerebellum assists with motor-related functions, in addition to powering spatial processing, decision making, language and social cognition."

"These unique parts of the brain evolved independently of brain size, researchers confirmed.”

"'The gradual evolution of modern human brain shape seems to parallel the gradual emergence of behavioral modernity as seen from the archeological record," said researcher Jean-Jacques Hublin." (dhw's bolds)

Wow! This is a real eye-opener! Once again I can only thank you for keeping us abreast of such new scientific discoveries, as well as for your integrity in presenting material that can be used as evidence for a theory you dislike. Bearing in mind that research into the working of the modern brain shows quite clearly that it changes its structure IN RESPONSE to new requirements, you could hardly have a clearer illustration of the process I have been advocating. In this case, since expansion was presumably impractical, it was the shape that changed in order to provide better accommodation for the parietal and cerebellar bulging, which would have been caused by the brain's responses to the new ideas, requirements, patterns of behaviour that mark our modern age. (NB These changes were gradual - obviously because each new requirement would demand a new change - it didn't all happen at once). Or are you now going to tell us that in addition to operating on the Moroccans 315,000 years ago, your God stepped in 35,000 years ago to do a rounding operation in advance of the behavioural changes? Once more: if the modern brain changes IN RESPONSE to new requirements, why should we not assume that the same process would have caused the expansion of earlier brains?