Human brains have shrunk: the questions are when and why
Human brain reduction from the Late Pleistocene/Holocene to the modern day is a longstanding anthropological observation documented with numerous lines of independent evidence. In a recent study (DeSilva et al., 2021; Front. Ecol. Evol.), we analyzed a large compilation of fossil and recent human cr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1191274/full |
| _version_ | 1827919088759865344 |
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| author | Jeremy DeSilva Luke Fannin Luke Fannin Isabelle Cheney Alexander Claxton Iulian Ilieş Jessica Kittelberger Jeff Stibel James Traniello |
| author_facet | Jeremy DeSilva Luke Fannin Luke Fannin Isabelle Cheney Alexander Claxton Iulian Ilieş Jessica Kittelberger Jeff Stibel James Traniello |
| author_sort | Jeremy DeSilva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human brain reduction from the Late Pleistocene/Holocene to the modern day is a longstanding anthropological observation documented with numerous lines of independent evidence. In a recent study (DeSilva et al., 2021; Front. Ecol. Evol.), we analyzed a large compilation of fossil and recent human crania and determined that this reduction was surprisingly recent, occurring rapidly within the past 5,000 to 3,000 years of human history. We attributed such a change as a consequence of population growth and cooperative intelligence and drew parallels with similar evolutionary trends in eusocial insects, such as ants. In a reply to our study, Villmoare and Grabowski (2022; Front. Ecol. Evol.) reassessed our findings using portions of our dataset and were unable to detect any reduction in brain volume during this time frame. In this paper, responding to Villmoare and Grabowski’s critique, we reaffirm recent human brain size reduction in the Holocene, and encourage our colleagues to continue to investigate both the timing and causes of brain size reduction in humans in the past 10,000 years. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:52:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6c4ea07a480841c7b8444693a0e4d4d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:52:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-6c4ea07a480841c7b8444693a0e4d4d02023-06-22T09:31:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2023-06-011110.3389/fevo.2023.11912741191274Human brains have shrunk: the questions are when and whyJeremy DeSilva0Luke Fannin1Luke Fannin2Isabelle Cheney3Alexander Claxton4Iulian Ilieş5Jessica Kittelberger6Jeff Stibel7James Traniello8Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United StatesDepartment of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United StatesEcology, Evolution, Environment and Society, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United StatesDepartment of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United StatesAnatomy and Cell Biology, Oklahoma State University, Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, United StatesHealthcare Systems Engineering Institute, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United StatesDepartment of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United StatesNatural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United StatesHuman brain reduction from the Late Pleistocene/Holocene to the modern day is a longstanding anthropological observation documented with numerous lines of independent evidence. In a recent study (DeSilva et al., 2021; Front. Ecol. Evol.), we analyzed a large compilation of fossil and recent human crania and determined that this reduction was surprisingly recent, occurring rapidly within the past 5,000 to 3,000 years of human history. We attributed such a change as a consequence of population growth and cooperative intelligence and drew parallels with similar evolutionary trends in eusocial insects, such as ants. In a reply to our study, Villmoare and Grabowski (2022; Front. Ecol. Evol.) reassessed our findings using portions of our dataset and were unable to detect any reduction in brain volume during this time frame. In this paper, responding to Villmoare and Grabowski’s critique, we reaffirm recent human brain size reduction in the Holocene, and encourage our colleagues to continue to investigate both the timing and causes of brain size reduction in humans in the past 10,000 years.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1191274/fullencephalizationHomo sapiensHolocenePleistocenesocial evolution |
| spellingShingle | Jeremy DeSilva Luke Fannin Luke Fannin Isabelle Cheney Alexander Claxton Iulian Ilieş Jessica Kittelberger Jeff Stibel James Traniello Human brains have shrunk: the questions are when and why Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution encephalization Homo sapiens Holocene Pleistocene social evolution |
| title | Human brains have shrunk: the questions are when and why |
| title_full | Human brains have shrunk: the questions are when and why |
| title_fullStr | Human brains have shrunk: the questions are when and why |
| title_full_unstemmed | Human brains have shrunk: the questions are when and why |
| title_short | Human brains have shrunk: the questions are when and why |
| title_sort | human brains have shrunk the questions are when and why |
| topic | encephalization Homo sapiens Holocene Pleistocene social evolution |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2023.1191274/full |
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