The relative size of a mammal’s brain is often linked to evolutionary changes in body size rather than to intelligence, research suggests.
An international team of scientists analysed data from 1,400 living and extinct mammal species to piece together a timeline of how brain and body size evolved over the last 150 million years.
There are “lots of different ways that species end up with big brains”, according to the researchers, such as decreasing body size to suit a new habitat, climate or way of moving.
Conversely, the study indicated that the California sea lion’s body increased in size at a faster rate than its brain as it diversified to a semi-aquatic niche, leaving it with a smaller relative brain size.
Mammal brain size often linked to evolutionary changes in body, researchers say
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Mammal brain size often linked to evolutionary changes in body, researchers say
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Mammal brain size often linked to evolutionary changes in body, researchers say
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Mammal brain size often linked to evolutionary changes in body, researchers say
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