Encephalization[edit]
Skulls of successive (or near-successive, depending on the source) human evolutionary ancestors, up until
'modern' Homo sapiens
* Mya - million years ago, kya - thousand years ago
Brain size and tooth size in hominins
The human species eventually developed a much larger brain than that of other primates—
typically 1,330 cm3 (81 cu in) in modern humans, nearly three times the size of a chimpanzee or
gorilla brain.[27] After a period of stasis with Australopithecus anamensis and Ardipithecus, species
which had smaller brains as a result of their bipedal locomotion, [28] the pattern
of encephalization started with Homo habilis, whose 600 cm3 (37 cu in) brain was slightly larger
than that of chimpanzees. This evolution continued in Homo erectus with 800–1,100 cm3 (49–
67 cu in), and reached a maximum in Neanderthals with 1,200–1,900 cm3 (73–116 cu in), larger
even than modern Homo sapiens. This brain increase manifested during postnatal brain growth,
far exceeding that of other apes (heterochrony). It also allowed for extended periods of social
learning and language acquisition in juvenile humans, beginning as much as 2 million years ago.
Furthermore, the changes in the structure of human brains may be even more significant than
the increase in size.[29][30][31][32]
The size and shape of the skull changed over time. The leftmost, and largest, is a replica of a modern
human skull.
The temporal lobes, which contain centers for language processing, have increased
disproportionately, as has the prefrontal cortex, which has been related to complex decision-
making and moderating social behavior. [27] Encephalization has been tied to increased meat and
starches in the diet,[33][34][35] and the development of cooking,[36] and it has been proposed that
intelligence increased as a response to an increased necessity for solving social problems as
human society became more complex.[37] Changes in skull morphology, such as smaller
mandibles and mandible muscle attachments, allowed more room for the brain to grow. [38]
The increase in volume of the neocortex also included a rapid increase in size of the cerebellum.
Its function has traditionally been associated with balance and fine motor control, but more
recently with speech and cognition. The great apes, including hominids, had a more pronounced
cerebellum relative to the neocortex than other primates. It has been suggested that because of
its function of sensory-motor control and learning complex muscular actions, the cerebellum may
have underpinned human technological adaptations, including the preconditions of speech. [39][40][41]
[42]
The immediate survival advantage of encephalization is difficult to discern, as the major brain
changes from Homo erectus to Homo heidelbergensis were not accompanied by major changes
in technology. It has been suggested that the changes were mainly social and behavioural,
including increased empathic abilities,[43][44] increases in size of social groups, [45][46][47] and increased
behavioural plasticity.[48] Encephalization may be due to a dependency on calorie-dense, difficult-
to-acquire food.[49]