3 ms·
Sure absolute size doesn't matter. But what about number of neurons or neural connections? I'd be curious what the actual studies say. The article hinted at th
by somerandomness 10y ago
Sure absolute size doesn't matter. But what about number of neurons or neural connections? I'd be curious what the actual studies say.
The article hinted at this: "African gray parrots, which can identify shapes and even count, as well as corvids, which have an equivalent number of neurons to some primates and, it is suggested, may even be self-aware."
Comparing brain size vs intelligence across species seems weird since neuron size/density differs so much.
- alextheparrot 10y agoShout-out to my account namesake's species. If anyone hasn't watched African grey parrots on YouTube, they are definitely in for a treat.
- programmarchy 10y agoAnother useful metric is degree of surface convolution, with larger surface areas correlating with higher intelligence. Dolphins and whales have a degree of surface convolution similar to humans, although the thickness of their neocortex is about half that of humans. But the biggest factor is likely structure and organization of the cortex, not just size, density, or surface area. A good representation of structure is the homunculus [1], which emphasizes the mouth and hands. Undoubtedly, verbal and written communication have contributed enormously to the explosion of human intelligence. [1] http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~uzwiak/AnatPhys/APFallLect19_files/image010.jpg http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~uzwiak/AnatPhys/APFallLect19_fil...