July 27, 2011

How We Dealt With Freakishly Big Brains

Carl Zimmer, Discover


AP Photo

In 1758 the Swedish taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus dubbed our species Homo sapiens, Latin for “wise man.” It’s a matter of open debate whether we actually live up to that moniker. If Linnaeus had wanted to stand on more solid ground, he could have instead called us Homo megalencephalus: “man with a giant brain.”

Read Full Article ››

TAGGED: Human evolution, brain size, brain

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

May 5, 2012
Did a Copying Mistake Build Man's Brain?
Jennifer Welsh, LiveScience
A copyediting error appears to be responsible for critical features of the human brain that distinguish us from our closest primate kin, new research finds.When tested out in mice, researchers found this "error" caused the ... more ››
May 4, 2012
What Part of Our Brain Makes Us Human?
Brian Christian, PopSci
Brian Christian's book The Most Human Human, newly out in paperback, tells the story of how the author, "a young poet with degrees in computer science and philosophy," set out to win the "Most Human Human" prize in a Turing... more ››