Here is a simple story about the origins of the human brain: All primate brains are dense with neurons—they are the supercomputers of the animal world. What's more, the human brain is just what you’d expect from a primate of our size: big, packed with neurons, but no more special than that. It's the chimps and gorillas who are special: without cooked food, their brains lacked the fuel to keep up with the growing body.

Or so argued Suzana Herculano-Houzel, my guest in last week's episode.

In today's episode, paleo-neurologist Dean Falk explains why she thinks this is only part of the story.

I'll let her tell you why.

Enjoy!

DIG DEEPER

This episode is part 2 of this autumn's brain science series. See more

at OnHumans.Substack.com⁠/Brain

See also last spring's episode with Dean Falk on toolmaking and childhoods, as part of the Origins of Humankind -series.

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MENTIONS AND KEYWORDS

Scholars

Charles Darwin | Dietrich Stout | Robin Dunbar | Katarina Semenderfi | Weiwei Men | Joseph Ledoux | Jane Goodall

Technical terms

Endocasts | Sulci and gyri | Broca's area | Brodmann Area 10, also known as BA10 and the frontal pole | Acheulean hand axe technology

Keywords

Brain science | Neuroscience | Neurology | Paleoneurology | Evolutionary Anthropology | Comparative Anatomy | Cognitive Archaeology | Origins of Consciousness