Evolution of Large Brain and Body Size in Mammals

Stephen H Montgomery

doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-804042-3.00034-8

Evolution of Large Brain and Body Size in Mammals

Stephen H Montgomery

School of Biological Sciences

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Mammalian brain size varies from less than 1 g to over 9 kg, but what is the significance of this variation in terms of behavioral complexity and cognition? What are the advantages of a large brain, and what are the costs? Comparing brains of ecologically and phylogenetically disperse species provides one way to derive and test hypotheses about how brains evolve. Here I discuss the assumptions made when total brain size is compared across species and highlight potential difficulties that limit such comparisons. Chief among these is evidence that total brain size masks a hidden diversity of mammalian brain structure and cellular composition.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Evolution of Nervous Systems
Publisher	Elsevier
Chapter	2.05
Pages	103-136
Volume	2
Edition	second
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804042-3.00034-8
Publication status	Published - 2017

Access to Document

10.1016/B978-0-12-804042-3.00034-8

Handle.net

Persistent link

Cite this

@inbook{119e132d6af74d9681bdda2a597a80ad,

title = "Evolution of Large Brain and Body Size in Mammals",

abstract = "Mammalian brain size varies from less than 1 g to over 9 kg, but what is the significance of this variation in terms of behavioral complexity and cognition? What are the advantages of a large brain, and what are the costs? Comparing brains of ecologically and phylogenetically disperse species provides one way to derive and test hypotheses about how brains evolve. Here I discuss the assumptions made when total brain size is compared across species and highlight potential difficulties that limit such comparisons. Chief among these is evidence that total brain size masks a hidden diversity of mammalian brain structure and cellular composition.",

author = "Montgomery, {Stephen H}",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1016/B978-0-12-804042-3.00034-8",

language = "English",

volume = "2",

pages = "103--136",

booktitle = "Evolution of Nervous Systems",

publisher = "Elsevier",

address = "Netherlands",

edition = "second",

}

TY - CHAP

T1 - Evolution of Large Brain and Body Size in Mammals

AU - Montgomery, Stephen H

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Mammalian brain size varies from less than 1 g to over 9 kg, but what is the significance of this variation in terms of behavioral complexity and cognition? What are the advantages of a large brain, and what are the costs? Comparing brains of ecologically and phylogenetically disperse species provides one way to derive and test hypotheses about how brains evolve. Here I discuss the assumptions made when total brain size is compared across species and highlight potential difficulties that limit such comparisons. Chief among these is evidence that total brain size masks a hidden diversity of mammalian brain structure and cellular composition.

AB - Mammalian brain size varies from less than 1 g to over 9 kg, but what is the significance of this variation in terms of behavioral complexity and cognition? What are the advantages of a large brain, and what are the costs? Comparing brains of ecologically and phylogenetically disperse species provides one way to derive and test hypotheses about how brains evolve. Here I discuss the assumptions made when total brain size is compared across species and highlight potential difficulties that limit such comparisons. Chief among these is evidence that total brain size masks a hidden diversity of mammalian brain structure and cellular composition.

U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-12-804042-3.00034-8

DO - 10.1016/B978-0-12-804042-3.00034-8

M3 - Chapter in a book

VL - 2

SP - 103

EP - 136

BT - Evolution of Nervous Systems

PB - Elsevier

ER -

Evolution of Large Brain and Body Size in Mammals

Abstract

Access to Document

Handle.net

Fingerprint

Cite this