Tag: brain size

^{Type
post

Author
Casey Luskin

Date
May 22, 2026

Categories
Evolution
Human Origins and Anthropology
Paleontology
Tagged
, anthropology, Aosis, Australopithecines, Australopithecus, autosomes, body plan, body size, bottleneck, brain size, cladogenesis, faces, fossil record, Grok, hominids, Homo, Homo erectus, Homo ergaster, Homo sapiens, human origins, John Hawks, Journal of Molecular Biology and Evolution, Molecular Biology and Evolution, mtDNA, nuchal areas, nuclear DNA, paleoanthropology, population, population size, Religions (journal), Science and Faith in Dialogue, sex chromosomes, skeleton, speciation, Stephen Barr, University of Wisconsin–Madison}

Not Out of Context: Comments on Hawks et al. (2000)

_{Casey Luskin
May 22, 2026

Evolution, Human Origins and Anthropology, Paleontology

14}

The lead author is John Hawks, a professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who has a popular blog on paleoanthropology. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Casey Luskin

Date
May 18, 2026

Categories
Evolution
Human Origins and Anthropology
Paleontology
Tagged
, Ann Gauger, Australopithecines, Australopithecus, brain size, cranial buttressing, dental function, evolution, First Things, God's Grandeur, Homo erectus, Homo rudolfensis, Homo sapiens, human origins, humans, Nature (journal), paleoanthropologists, paleontology, Stephen Barr, theology, University of Delaware}

Physicist Overstates the “Gradual” Nature of Human Origins in the Fossil Record

_{Casey Luskin
May 18, 2026

Evolution, Human Origins and Anthropology, Paleontology

5}

We’ve gone back and forth with Dr. Barr many times in the past. Mainstream paleoanthropologists acknowledge that the origin of humans is sudden and abrupt. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Casey Luskin

Date
February 23, 2026

Categories
Human Origins and Anthropology
Linguistics
Tagged
, Acheulean stone tools, Africa, Biological Theory, brain size, brain volume, Denisovans, encephalization quotient, evolution, FOXP2, genes, Homo erectus, human origins, humans, hunting, hyoid, Indonesia, intellectual capabilities, language, laryngeal air sacs, linguistic communication, modern humans, Neanderthals, seafaring, speaking, symbols, thinking}

Paper Defends Spoken Language in Homo erectus

_{Casey Luskin
February 23, 2026

Human Origins and Anthropology, Linguistics

9}

The first thing that comes to mind in the context of intellectual capabilities is brain size. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
April 11, 2025

Categories
Evolution
Neuroscience & Mind
Scientific Reasoning
Tagged
, abortion, animals, brain, brain size, cerebral cortex, chimpanzees, conjoined twins, genes, Human, human brain, human mind, intelligence, mice, Michael Egnor, neocortex, Research, split brain, The Immortal Mind}

Big Human Brain from…Just Two Genes?

_{Denyse O’Leary
April 11, 2025

Evolution, Neuroscience & Mind, Scientific Reasoning

6}

The genes, unique to humans, spurred brain growth when introduced in mice and chimpanzee stem cells. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Casey Luskin

Date
October 31, 2022

Categories
Biology
Evolution
Human Origins and Anthropology
Tagged
, Allen Institute for Brain Science, Australopithecines, Australopithecus, brain size, Christof Koch, Ernst Mayr, Eurasia, evolution, fossil record, Fossils and Human Evolution (series), hominins, Homo erectus, Homo habilis, Homo sapiens, human origins, humans, paleoanthropologists, Pleistocene, skulls, Southeast Asia}

The Big Bang Origin of Homo

_{Casey Luskin
October 31, 2022

Biology, Evolution, Human Origins and Anthropology

8}

This unbridged gap between the ape-like australopithecines and the abruptly appearing human-like members of our genus challenges evolutionary accounts. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Date
September 2, 2022

Categories
Linguistics
Neuroscience & Mind
Science
Scientific Reasoning
Tagged
, asymmetry, brain size, brains, chimpanzees, dopamine, FOXP2, humans, intelligence, memory, primates, speech, thinking, Yale University}

More Ways that Human and Ape Brains Differ

_{Science & Culture
September 2, 2022

Linguistics, Neuroscience & Mind, Science, Scientific Reasoning

3}

Underlying the significant differences in brain — to say nothing of the vast difference in mind — is a genetic mystery. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Date
July 28, 2022

Categories
Neuroscience & Mind
Science
Tagged
, brain, brain damage, brain size, football, neuroscience, tongue}

Woodpeckers: The Advantage of a Small Brain

_{Science & Culture
July 28, 2022

Neuroscience & Mind, Science

3}

Woodpeckers absorb 1200 to 1400 g shock driving their beaks into wood — but a shock absorbing skull doesn’t explain the absence of damage. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Date
July 17, 2022

Categories
Intelligent Design
Neuroscience & Mind
Psychology
Tagged
, Ars Technica, birds, brain size, brains, chimpanzees, genetic engineering, Homo sapiens, human brain, humans, information processing, John Timmer, lemurs, London School of Economics, Michael Denton, monkeys, octopuses, oxygen, primates, superintelligence, The Miracle of Man}

Brain Size Doesn’t Determine Intelligence

_{Science & Culture
July 17, 2022

Intelligent Design, Neuroscience & Mind, Psychology

5}

Brains are not simple, so many “just common sense” theories have fallen by the wayside. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
March 27, 2022

Categories
Intelligent Design
Neuroscience & Mind
Tagged
, animal behavior, babies, birds, brain size, Cornell University, eggs, intelligence, lemurs, lizards, neurons, penguins, reptiles, The Scientist}

Are Birds Really Smarter than Reptiles?

_{Denyse O’Leary
March 27, 2022

Intelligent Design, Neuroscience & Mind

5}

Scientists clash over how to measure animal intelligence: brain volume, brain organization, numbers of neurons…? Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O’Leary

Date
March 15, 2022

Categories
Biology
Intelligent Design
Neuroscience & Mind
Tagged
, arthropods, brain size, chimpanzees, entomology, hunting, intelligent design, lemurs, neuroscience, octopuses, spiders, The Scientist}

Spiders Are Smart; Be Glad They Are Small

_{Denyse O’Leary
March 15, 2022

Biology, Intelligent Design, Neuroscience & Mind

5}

Recent research has shed light on the intriguing strategies that spiders use to deceive other spiders — and prey in general. Read More ›