The Innovative Brain

2021 ◽  
pp. 51-66
Author(s):  
Susan D. Healy
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Similar Data ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Technical Innovations

Not least because humans are inveterate inventors, innovation is considered to be a reason that other animals have big brains. The Innovative Brain Hypothesis really came into being when Lefebvre et al. suggested that innovation could be a way to assess cognitive abilities in wild animals, which tend not to be amenable to cognitive testing in the traditional, laboratory context. The collection of a data set of foraging innovations in birds (and a similar data set later collected for primates) has provided opportunities to test the main hypothesis in this chapter. Innovations were later divided into technical and non-technical innovations, with the former perhaps leading to more correlations with brain size than the latter. I conclude that this is a very appealing hypothesis but that the evidence is not especially persuasive.

scholarly journals Extended parenting and the evolution of cognition

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1803) ◽  
pp. 20190495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Uomini ◽  
Joanna Fairlie ◽  
Russell D. Gray ◽  
Michael Griesser
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Cultural Learning

Traditional attempts to understand the evolution of human cognition compare humans with other primates. This research showed that relative brain size covaries with cognitive skills, while adaptations that buffer the developmental and energetic costs of large brains (e.g. allomaternal care), and ecological or social benefits of cognitive abilities, are critical for their evolution. To understand the drivers of cognitive adaptations, it is profitable to consider distant lineages with convergently evolved cognitions. Here, we examine the facilitators of cognitive evolution in corvid birds, where some species display cultural learning, with an emphasis on family life. We propose that extended parenting (protracted parent–offspring association) is pivotal in the evolution of cognition: it combines critical life-history, social and ecological conditions allowing for the development and maintenance of cognitive skillsets that confer fitness benefits to individuals. This novel hypothesis complements the extended childhood idea by considering the parents' role in juvenile development. Using phylogenetic comparative analyses, we show that corvids have larger body sizes, longer development times, extended parenting and larger relative brain sizes than other passerines. Case studies from two corvid species with different ecologies and social systems highlight the critical role of life-history features on juveniles’ cognitive development: extended parenting provides a safe haven, access to tolerant role models, reliable learning opportunities and food, resulting in higher survival. The benefits of extended juvenile learning periods, over evolutionary time, lead to selection for expanded cognitive skillsets. Similarly, in our ancestors, cooperative breeding and increased group sizes facilitated learning and teaching. Our analyses highlight the critical role of life-history, ecological and social factors that underlie both extended parenting and expanded cognitive skillsets. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals’.

scholarly journals A Farewell to the Encephalization Quotient: A New Brain Size Measure for Comparative Primate Cognition

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Carel P. van Schaik ◽  
Zegni Triki ◽  
Redouan Bshary ◽  
Sandra A. Heldstab
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Estimation Error ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Encephalization Quotient ◽  
Body Sizes ◽  
Size Measure

Both absolute and relative brain sizes vary greatly among and within the major vertebrate lineages. Scientists have long debated how larger brains in primates and hominins translate into greater cognitive performance, and in particular how to control for the relationship between the noncognitive functions of the brain and body size. One solution to this problem is to establish the slope of cognitive equivalence, i.e., the line connecting organisms with an identical bauplan but different body sizes. The original approach to estimate this slope through intraspecific regressions was abandoned after it became clear that it generated slopes that were too low by an unknown margin due to estimation error. Here, we revisit this method. We control for the error problem by focusing on highly dimorphic primate species with large sample sizes and fitting a line through the mean values for adult females and males. We obtain the best estimate for the slope of circa 0.27, a value much lower than those constructed using all mammal species and close to the value expected based on the genetic correlation between brain size and body size. We also find that the estimate of cognitive brain size based on cognitive equivalence fits empirical cognitive studies better than the encephalization quotient, which should therefore be avoided in future studies on primates and presumably mammals and birds in general. The use of residuals from the line of cognitive equivalence may change conclusions concerning the cognitive abilities of extant and extinct primate species, including hominins.

scholarly journals Different environmental variables predict body and brain size evolution in Homo

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Will ◽  
Mario Krapp ◽  
Jay T. Stock ◽  
Andrea Manica
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Size Variation ◽  
Evolutionary Pattern ◽  
Statistical Framework ◽  
Size Evolution ◽  
Major Predictor

AbstractIncreasing body and brain size constitutes a key macro-evolutionary pattern in the hominin lineage, yet the mechanisms behind these changes remain debated. Hypothesized drivers include environmental, demographic, social, dietary, and technological factors. Here we test the influence of environmental factors on the evolution of body and brain size in the genus Homo over the last one million years using a large fossil dataset combined with global paleoclimatic reconstructions and formalized hypotheses tested in a quantitative statistical framework. We identify temperature as a major predictor of body size variation within Homo, in accordance with Bergmann’s rule. In contrast, net primary productivity of environments and long-term variability in precipitation correlate with brain size but explain low amounts of the observed variation. These associations are likely due to an indirect environmental influence on cognitive abilities and extinction probabilities. Most environmental factors that we test do not correspond with body and brain size evolution, pointing towards complex scenarios which underlie the evolution of key biological characteristics in later Homo.

scholarly journals NCOG-70. RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A NEW SELF-REPORT INDEX OF COGNITIVE CONCERNS IN BRAIN TUMOR PATIENTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii145-ii145
Author(s):  
Giuliana Zarrella ◽  
Alice Perez ◽  
Jorg Dietrich ◽  
Michael Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Measurement Information ◽  
Patient Reported

Abstract INTRODUCTION Subjective cognitive dysfunction is an important outcome measure in neuro-oncology and may provide additional information beyond performance-based neuropsychological testing. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br) is a frequently used quality of life (QoL) measure that includes indices of physical, emotional, social, and neurologic aspects of disease, but does not measure cognitive concerns. This study seeks to develop and validate an index of self-reported cognition derived from existing items on the FACT-Br. METHODS 145 patients (Mage=51.08, Medu=15.63) with heterogeneous brain tumor diagnoses completed neuropsychological evaluation including cognitive testing and self-report measures. Nine FACT-Br items regarding cognition were combined to form the Cognitive Index (CI). Reliability of the CI was measured with Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent validity was assessed by correlating the CI with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Cognitive Abilities-8 or PROMIS Cognitive Concerns-8. Discriminant validity was assessed by correlation of the CI with other FACT-Br indices and the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI, BAI). RESULTS Internal consistency within the CI was high (Cronbach’s a 0.864). The CI correlated strongly with the PROMIS-Abilities (r =.680; p< 0.001) and PROMIS-Concerns (r=.780; p< 0.001) indicating high convergent validity. Moderate correlations were observed between the CI and the physical and functional subscales of the FACT (r=.453 and .555), whereas correlations with the social and emotional functioning subscales were weaker (r=.381 and .325). The FACT-Br-CI correlated strongly with BDI (r=-.622) and more weakly with the BAI (r=-.344). Consistent with prior literature, the CI showed modest correlations with neuropsychological measures, including verbal memory encoding (r=.300), verbal fluency (r=.252) and a composite measure of cognition (r=.249; all p’s< .01). CONCLUSIONS The FACT-Br-CI is a reliable and valid measure of self-reported cognition. Studies that include the FACT-Br could be retrospectively analyzed to assess self-reported cognitive outcomes, enriching the information gained from prior research.

scholarly journals Numerical assessment in the wild: insights from social carnivores

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1740) ◽  
pp. 20160508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Benson-Amram ◽  
Geoff Gilfillan ◽  
Karen McComb
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Playback Experiments ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Numerical Assessment ◽  
Individual Discrimination ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Assessment Skills ◽  
In The Wild

Playback experiments have proved to be a useful tool to investigate the extent to which wild animals understand numerical concepts and the factors that play into their decisions to respond to different numbers of vocalizing conspecifics. In particular, playback experiments have broadened our understanding of the cognitive abilities of historically understudied species that are challenging to test in the traditional laboratory, such as members of the Order Carnivora. Additionally, playback experiments allow us to assess the importance of numerical information versus other ecologically important variables when animals are making adaptive decisions in their natural habitats. Here, we begin by reviewing what we know about quantity discrimination in carnivores from studies conducted in captivity. We then review a series of playback experiments conducted with wild social carnivores, including African lions, spotted hyenas and wolves, which demonstrate that these animals can assess the number of conspecifics calling and respond based on numerical advantage. We discuss how the wild studies complement those conducted in captivity and allow us to gain insights into why wild animals may not always respond based solely on differences in quantity. We then consider the key roles that individual discrimination and cross-modal recognition play in the ability of animals to assess the number of conspecifics vocalizing nearby. Finally, we explore new directions for future research in this area, highlighting in particular the need for further work on the cognitive basis of numerical assessment skills and experimental paradigms that can be effective in both captive and wild settings. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The origins of numerical abilities’.

Abstract WMP113: Serial Cognitive Testing Performance by Baseline Fazekas Category in Stroke Survivors: A Secondary Analysis of the SPS-3 Trial

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam H de Havenon ◽  
Natalia Rost ◽  
Shyam Prabhakaran
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
College Education ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensity ◽  
Absolute Difference ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
One Year

Introduction: Prior research has shown that an increased burden of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) is an independent risk factor for the development of dementia. However, research has not focused specifically on stroke survivors, who are also predisposed to dementia. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of patients in the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes (SPS3) trial, who had a lacunar ischemic stroke within 6 months of enrollment and an MRI at study baseline. The primary outcome is change in the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) from baseline to a 12 month follow-up. The primary predictor is the Fazekas score on the baseline MRI, with the scores of 0 and 1 collapsed to balance the cohort. We fit regression models to the 12 month CASI and adjusted for baseline CASI, patient age, gender, white race, Barthel Index score at 3 months from enrollment, college education, employment status, diabetes, COPD, and SPS3 randomization arm. Results: We included 2,413 patients with a mean (SD) age of 62.8 (10.6) years and 63.7% were male. There were 946 patients in Fazekas 0-1, 1,009 in Fazekas 2, and 458 in Fazekas 3. The mean (SD) CASI score at baseline and 12 months were 85.3 (12.4) and 86.0 (12.4). In the adjusted linear regression model, compared to a baseline Fazekas of 0-1, a baseline Fazekas of 2 was associated with a worse cognitive score (β coef = -0.55, 95% CI -1.01, -0.08, p=0.020), as was Fazekas of 3 (β coef = -0.76, 95% CI -1.36, -0.16, p=0.013). Conclusion: In patients with recent lacunar stroke, an increased baseline WMH burden is a risk factor for worse performance over a one year period on a validated test of global cognition. Although the absolute difference in score that we found was small (~0.5-0.8 points), this difference is over one year and, over years to decades, could become clinically significant. The implication of this finding is that lacunar ischemic stroke has additive cognitive consequences for patients with an established WMH burden, suggesting that primary stroke prevention in patients with WMH could be an important public health goal to reduce the burden of dementia.

scholarly journals Emerging Roles of Long Non-Coding RNAs as Drivers of Brain Evolution

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine Zimmer-Bensch
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Brain Evolution ◽  
Relative Volume ◽  
Structural Reorganization ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Human Brain Evolution ◽  
Transcriptional Regulatory

Mammalian genomes encode tens of thousands of long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are capable of interactions with DNA, RNA and protein molecules, thereby enabling a variety of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory activities. Strikingly, about 40% of lncRNAs are expressed specifically in the brain with precisely regulated temporal and spatial expression patterns. In stark contrast to the highly conserved repertoire of protein-coding genes, thousands of lncRNAs have newly appeared during primate nervous system evolution with hundreds of human-specific lncRNAs. Their evolvable nature and the myriad of potential functions make lncRNAs ideal candidates for drivers of human brain evolution. The human brain displays the largest relative volume of any animal species and the most remarkable cognitive abilities. In addition to brain size, structural reorganization and adaptive changes represent crucial hallmarks of human brain evolution. lncRNAs are increasingly reported to be involved in neurodevelopmental processes suggested to underlie human brain evolution, including proliferation, neurite outgrowth and synaptogenesis, as well as in neuroplasticity. Hence, evolutionary human brain adaptations are proposed to be essentially driven by lncRNAs, which will be discussed in this review.

scholarly journals Linking ecology and cognition: does ecological specialisation predict cognitive test performance?

2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Henke-von der Malsburg ◽  
Peter M. Kappeler ◽  
Claudia Fichtel
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Social Intelligence ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Ecological Processes

AbstractVariation in cognitive abilities is thought to be linked to variation in brain size, which varies across species with either social factors (Social Intelligence Hypothesis) or ecological challenges (Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis). However, the nature of the ecological processes invoked by the Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis, like adaptations to certain habitat characteristics or dietary requirements, remains relatively poorly known. Here, we review comparative studies that experimentally investigated interspecific variation in cognitive performance in relation to a species’ degree of ecological specialisation. Overall, the relevant literature was biased towards studies of mammals and birds as well as studies focusing on ecological challenges related to diet. We separated ecological challenges into those related to searching for food, accessing a food item and memorising food locations. We found interspecific variation in cognitive performance that can be explained by adaptations to different foraging styles. Species-specific adaptations to certain ecological conditions, like food patch distribution, characteristics of food items or seasonality also broadly predicted variation in cognitive abilities. A species’ innovative problem-solving and spatial processing ability, for example, could be explained by its use of specific foraging techniques or search strategies, respectively. Further, habitat generalists were more likely to outperform habitat specialists. Hence, we found evidence that ecological adaptations and cognitive performance are linked and that the classification concept of ecological specialisation can explain variation in cognitive performance only with regard to habitat, but not dietary specialisation.

KERNEL-BASED EXPONENTIAL GREY WOLF OPTIMIZER FOR RAPID CENTROID ESTIMATION IN DATA CLUSTERING

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amolkumar Narayan Jadhav ◽  
Gomathi N.
Keyword(s):  
Data Clustering ◽  
Objective Evaluation ◽  
Multidimensional Data ◽  
Grey Wolf Optimizer ◽  
Similar Data ◽  
Grey Wolf ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Centroid Estimation ◽  
Two Parameters

Clustering finds variety of application in a wide range of disciplines because it is mostly helpful for grouping of similar data objects together. Due to the wide applicability, different algorithms have been presented in the literature for segmenting large multidimensional data into discernible representative clusters. Accordingly, in this paper, Kernel-based exponential grey wolf optimizer (KEGWO) is developed for rapid centroid estimation in data clustering. Here, KEGWO is newly proposed to search the cluster centroids with a new objective evaluation which considered two parameters called logarithmic kernel function and distance difference between two top clusters. Based on the new objective function and the modified KEGWO algorithm, centroids are encoded as position vectors and the optimal location is found for the final clustering. The proposed KEGWO algorithm is evaluated with banknote authentication Data Set, iris dataset and wine dataset using four metrics such as, Mean Square Error, F-measure, Rand co-efficient and jaccord coefficient. From the outcome, we proved that the proposed KEGWO algorithm outperformed the existing algorithms.   

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