doctor banjo?
Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
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Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#72I'm curious why humans evolved intelligence and chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans did not.
We don't know. All of the great apes are incredibly intelligent in comparison to most other animals. The basic roots of our intelligence are probably a common feature to the whole family, but there's no consensus on why it's so advanced in humans. Any paleoanthropologist can rattle off about half a dozen possible explanations, but we honestly don't have enough evidence to really distinguish if, when, and how these we…
This highlights just how little we really know, even with decades of fossil, genetic, and behavioral data. What's always struck me is how intelligence might not have been a linear "goal," but more like a byproduct of other traits that just happened to snowball...
Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
it's interesting to think that since humans got established, becoming too intelligent became a disadvantage? Like there's a glass ceiling.
I think it might be just competition. Human brains are expensive in terms of energy expenditure. So at certain population scales having less energy to expend might be comparative advantage. And same really goes for other niches we do not even occupy. You need to get something out of those expensive to keep brains.
> Human brains are expensive in terms of energy
I dunno ... 10 bits/second ain't so lavish...
Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#74I'm curious why humans evolved intelligence and chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans did not.
I think this is actually an easy question to answer because you’ve accidentally preselected your demographics.
Imagine this: among primates, there is an even distribution of species of differing levels of intelligence. All the primates who became intelligent have similar evolution paths because intelligence defines their evolution path (opposable thumbs, large heads, standing upright, etc.) Then because they all have similar evolution paths we put all those into the genus “Homo.” Each of species of the genus Homo eventually either breeds with each other or genocides one another until there are only the Homo Sapiens left.
So with an even distribution of intelligence among all primates, it’s logical that, given enough time, all that is left are primates of sufficient intelligence enough to breed with each other or be genocided until there is only one species, or many species of primates who weren’t intelligent enough.
This is my guess (I’m not a biologist or ancient historian or anything)
Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#75I'm curious why humans evolved intelligence and chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans did not.
No other intelligent humanoids have survived besides us, so maybe just a really clever survival strategy ;)
Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sperm whales may have more massive brains, but they have fewer cortical neurons total, and of course a much smaller brain to body mass ratio. But more importantly for this conversation, our brains use up a staggering 20-25% of our resting metabolic needs. A whale brain uses something like 3%. For us to be able to devote 20% of our calories to our brains, we simply needed to have a huge excess in the number of calorie…
The point of my comment is that cooking doesn't explain "why". It explains "how".
we just got virus into heads(which mutated some cells) forcing us to eat more. we are vodoo dolls driven by craving for flesh.
Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think it might be just competition. Human brains are expensive in terms of energy expenditure. So at certain population scales having less energy to expend might be comparative advantage. And same really goes for other niches we do not even occupy. You need to get something out of those expensive to keep brains.
> Human brains are expensive in terms of energy I dunno ... 10 bits/second ain't so lavish...
Perhaps, but 1/3 of your blood supply is expensive.
Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#78I'm curious why humans evolved intelligence and chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans did not.
They don't compete with us directly, so they survived.
We destroyed the many other humanoid/intelligent species, who did compete with us.
Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
Intelligence was evolved millions of years after the most recent common ancestor. Harnessing fire, clothing, etc. came later still. The lineage that would ultimately give rise to humans split from the chimp/bonobo lineage as the human ancestors adapted to savanna life, likely due to aridification brought on by the formation of the Himalayas. It's possible that selective pressure towards intelligence was greater for t…
Is there a specific definition for intelligence?
Like life, many sources define it differently.
Re: Study of 1M-year-old skull points to earlier origins of modern humans
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans evolved intelligence too. They are smarter than most other critters in the jungle. Just all not as much as the lineage that leads to humans. It's actually quite difficult to define human intelligence. Every time we think we find something unique by humans eventually some animal turns up that can do it too. It may be all just a question of degree and how it's used.
Are there any other animals that have a system of writing?
I dont think any other animal even have language at all (at least not language like we use the word language)