Neurology Increased blood flow caused growth of huminid brain?

Angela

Elite member
Messages
21,823
Reaction score
12,329
Points
113
Ethnic group
Italian
See:

http://www.archaeology.org/news/4807-160831-evolution-brain-blood

"ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA—Roger Seymour of the University of Adelaide and his colleagues in Australia and South Africa calculated the rate of blood flow to the brain in 12 species of hominins who lived over a span of three million years, according to a report inPopular Science. Seymour’s team based the rate of blood flow on the size of the two holes in the base of hominid skulls that allow arteries to reach the brain. They found that while brain size increased by about 350 percent, blood flow to the brain increased 600 percent. The scientists suggest that the increase in blood flow could have provided the evolving hominid brain with increasing levels of oxygen and nutrients. "

On a micro level I think we can see this operating even today. People who exercise a lot have increased blood flow to the brain, and I think I remember studies showing that it increases mental acuity.
 
Understandable that these two processes had to go hand in hand. No big brain with small blood supply and no big veins necessary without big brain. We can also observe increased in size of nerve fibers going to the jaw, to support development of human speech, in last 2 million years.
 

This thread has been viewed 2240 times.

Back
Top