Animal Intelligence and the Evolution of the Human Mind

Something that we have learned over the years is that a wide variety of SCUP constituents have a keen interest in how humans think and perceive the world, and how brains work. Former Planning for Higher Education editor, George Keller, would occasionally publish related book reviews. We thought that you might enjoy this new, fairly comprehensive piece from Scientific American.

The human brain lacks conspicuous characteristics—such as relative or absolute size—that might account for humans’ superior intellect.

Researchers have found some clues to humanity’s aptitude on a smaller scale, such as more neurons in our brain’s outermost layer.

Human intelligence may be best likened to an upgrade of the cognitive capacities of nonhuman primates rather than an exceptionally advanced form of cognition.