Survival Of The Fattest: The Key To Human Brain Evolution

by Stephan Cosgrave Cunnane

Overview

How did humans evolve larger and more sophisticated brains? In general, evolution depends on a special combination of circumstances: part genetics, part time, and part environment. In the case of human brain evolution, the main environmental influence was adaptation to a 'shore-based' diet, which provided the world's richest source of nutrition, as well as a sedentary lifestyle that promoted fat deposition. Such a diet included shellfish, fish, marsh plants, frogs, bird's eggs, etc. Humans and, and more importantly, hominid babies started to get fat, a crucial distinction that led to the development of larger brains and to the evolution of modern humans. A larger brain is expensive to maintain and this increasing demand for energy results in, succinctly, survival of the fattest.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789812561916
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/25/2005
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.10(d)