anthrocentric:Comparative Cognition and Neuroscience: Misconceptions about Brain Evolution [online
anthrocentric: Comparative Cognition and Neuroscience: Misconceptions about Brain Evolution [onlinewiley]Toru Shimizu Abstract: This paper discusses five common misconceptions about the evolution of the brain. These misconceptions are: (1) brains evolved in a unilinear, serial process; (2) brain size increased linearly from simple to complex animals; (3) all the systems in the brain in different animals evolved at the same rate; (4) the “new” part of the brain became larger through evolution; and (5) the “same” brain structures in different animals attained the “same” functions. These misunderstandings must be corrected in order for comparative brain research to be a useful approach to understand the cognitive functions of different animals. This paper also discusses the growing interest in the integration of animal cognition studies and comparative brain research in the United States of America. In particular, two recent scientific meetings are presented as examples of the type of collaborations for exploring interdisciplinary brain research for comparative cognition. This short article by Shimizu is a brilliant article for those who are getting into neuroscience, brain evolution, biology, or biological anthropology. It addresses the common misconceptions regarding brain evolution and explains why these misconceptions exists (and its impact in the scientific community). I highly recommend it as a good foundation piece to give students in the first few weeks of an introductory biological anthropology or neuroscience course. Of course, you’re welcomed to just read it for fun because it’s still pretty damn great. -- source link
#biological anthropology#anthropology#biology#evolution#neuroscience