Adaptation and the Brain

What role has natural selection played in shaping the structure and function of the vertebrate brain? This accessible book unravels the myriad adaptive explanations that have built up over decades, providing both a review and a critique of the work that has sought to explain which natural selection pressures have led to changes in brain size.

List of contents

• 1: Introduction


• 2: The Measurable Brain


• 3: The Intelligent Brain


• 4: The Ecological Brain


• 5: The Innovative Brain


• 6: The Technical Brain


• 7: The Sexual Brain


• 8: The Social Brain


• 9: Conclusions

About the author

Susan D. Healy is a Research Professor at the School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK.

Summary

What role has natural selection played in shaping the structure and function of the vertebrate brain? This accessible book unravels the myriad adaptive explanations that have built up over decades, providing both a review and a critique of the work that has sought to explain which natural selection pressures have led to changes in brain size.

Additional text

This is an invaluable survey. At the end, unsurprisingly, Healy tells us that she has no slick, unifying conclusions.

Product details

• Authors: Susan D. Healy, Susan D. (Professor Healy
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 09.03.2021
• EAN: 9780199546756
• ISBN: 978-0-19-954675-6
• No. of pages: 176
• Series: Oxford Series in Ecology and Evolution
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > General, dictionaries; SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Zoology / General, Evolution, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Ecology, SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution, PSYCHOLOGY / Cognitive Psychology & Cognition, PSYCHOLOGY / Neuropsychology, PSYCHOLOGY / Physiological Psychology, Zoology & animal sciences, Physiological & neuro-psychology, biopsychology, Applied ecology, Cognition & cognitive psychology, Physiological and neuro-psychology, biopsychology, Cognition and cognitive psychology, Zoology and animal sciences