- NEW!
by PocketNut is as sure as a peanut on December 7th, 2009
In plants that have animal like qualities, such as the Venus Flytrap, where a hair like follicle triggers the flytrap to close, we can see a basic reflex action.
Now I'm not saying that this plant has a brain, but it does have a very basic reaction to stimuli.
It is highly likely, in my opinion, that over time microflora may have developed more and more sophisticated versions of this type of reaction, to a point where the line between animal and plant became blurred, as we see in modern day fungi.
Eventually this would have led to microfauna, with yet more complex abilities, which over time would confer a greater chance of survival, whether through predator avoidance or food aqusition, these abilities would have been honed to a point where a centralised control system would have been required to coordinate them.
Each jump ahead in predator species, would have heralded a corresponding leap forward in prey species and vice versa, with natural selection weeding out less capable individuals, who would then pass these advantages on to their descendants.
In much the same way as longer legs may grant the ability to evade predators, the ability to out think your opponent also gives you an edge, unless you are a species that engages in head butting, like the Musk Ox, then a large brain is a a liability as it is more easily damaged, in this case, brawn is more valuable for an animals chances of survival!
by dea_ex_machina on December 7th, 2009
It seems to be still evolving - take a look at the Flynn effect - where it has been demonstrated that iq scores are increasing with each generation
http://www.aboutintelligence.co.uk/flynn-effect.html
Disclaimer: I realise that IQ is only one measurement of brain, and that the brain has so many more functions than problem solving and recognising patterns... but what they hey - it is interesting
by sweetielowe on December 7th, 2009
I believe the brain development went hand in hand with our evolved thumbs which allowed us to manipulate our surroundings and complex vocal cords that allowed us to develop language and social learning as a group. I can imagine the potential in the mind due to the discovery of language forcing our minds to grow and adapt to these new advantages. And the ones that learn are the most successful and become the most attractive to mates so breed these advantages through the generations therefore genetically encouraging intelligence.
by 773491 on December 7th, 2009
The same way every complex feature of life did. Small, gradual changes that each represented an improvement over the previous thing got favored by natural selection.
It might have been used for something else in the very beginning and then gotten exapted. i.e. Bird wings are tought to have evolved from ancestral 'wings' that were used for regulating body temperature or for primitive gliding. Sometimes evolution 'discoveres' new ways to use a feature and sligthly the change happens. Without foresight or any kind of goal, just what happens to be beneficial will tend to accumulate in the gene pool.
As for the brain itself, I don't know how exactly the beginnings looked like. Also fishes and mollusk have some sort of brains, so the evolution of brains must have started before 500 million years ago. The brain is a huge cluster of nerves. It probably evolved from some simple input-output reaction machine into a more complex behavior generator over time. What we have now today is the product of millions of generations of evolution. In humans particularly, strong selection pressure towards 'intelligence' (especially social intelligence and empathy) led to our extraordinary mind.
by iwnit on February 28th, 2010
1) "The brain did not start with man, there were many examples of single cells that had simple versions billions of years before the first hominid appeared. Photosynthesis requires light. If a cell that depended on light drifted too low in the water or drifted under a land overhang that obscured the sun, it was in deep trouble. Some developed a light sensor and a method of swimming. For the system to work, they developed a central control system that would judge the amount of light and if it was insufficient would turn the cell toward the light source and swim in that direction. It would keep swimming until it was bathed with sufficient light. This was all done within a single cell organism. That early cell had memory (what am I supposed to do?), and reason (which way do I swim?).
Early animals developed cells that connected their various muscles to the central control area. Commands from the brain drive the muscles through these nerve cells. Every cell in an organism carries all of the information in its DNA for the entire organism. Each cell is a universal cell and can provide any service in the body of the organism. Evolution constructed the nerve cell from the standard cell. It also constructed nerve cells that connect the various sensors (ears, eyes, nose, skin) to the central control area. These nerve cells carried sensor information to the brain. Further cell adaptations in the central control area provided functional links. If the ears hear a loud bang then tell the leg muscles to jump the other way. If the stomach says it is hungry, go bite something. We refer to these permanent fixed processes as instincts. Still, the DNA cannot foresee all possible contingencies. It must allow some leeway. No animal is totally instinctive. All animals have some memory, some reasoning ability, and some decision making ability. We differ only in degree. The first hominid had all of the neural elements that we have today, as do the chimp and your pet poodle. The mutations that built our brain from that first hominid were more about quantity, shape, and organization than in substance."
Source and further information:
http://www.onelife.com/evolve/manev.html#I
2) Further information:
PowerPoint: Evolution of the Brain
Evolution of the Amniote Brain
Evolution of the Brain
Evolution of the Human Brain
Researchers identify genes involved in evolution of brain development
Relationships/The Evolution of the Human Brain
by pedal junky on December 7th, 2009
eating red meat was the source of the proteins that enabled this some think.
by Anonymous on December 6th, 2009
Evolution.
by thaer35 on February 27th, 2010
Are you ready for a fairy tail story, if yes, then I will tell you how the brain evolved.
by Timjon on December 7th, 2009
It didn't. It was created by God just as any other organ in the body.
by Tallyman on December 18th, 2009
It didn't. It's so complex that to believe that it happen agaist all odds, by chance is incredibly naive. The chances that one protein in one cell might create itself by chance is more than 10 to the 321nd power.The total fundamental particals in the Universe are only 10 to the 134th power!
The brain is one of the most obvious evidence for intelligent design.
What is the definition of an inherited trait?
by Answerbag Staff on December 3rd, 2009
| 1 person likes this
Is stupidity ever an inherited trait? If so, would that indicate that some races are less intelligent than others?
by Random on June 22nd, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Do you believe in eugenics and social darwinism? Why or why not?
by Anonymous on October 14th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
"Cro Magnon and Neanderthal sex produced genes in children that have help modern humans fight illness and disease." a study says. true?
by calicorey on August 26th, 2011
| 1 person likes this
Do you think humans are at the top or bottom of the evolutionary scale...animal section? They supposedly have greater potential..do they?
by RosieGHM Jetpacker on September 11th, 2011
| 3 people like this
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Comments
PS, not sure why you got DRed, so +4, your question is perfectly reasonable.
by PocketNut is as sure as a peanut on December 7th, 2009
Don't worry i got dr'd as well.probably by someone Religious that doesn't like being made to think of the facts of evolution. So here's +3
by sweetielowe on December 8th, 2009
I just got a -5 DR, evidently you were correct Sweetlowe, the ignorant bigots are not only to stupid to leave a coherent argument, thus proving me right, but also too cowardly.
by PocketNut is as sure as a peanut on December 8th, 2009
Damn it! I meant "too stupid", i really must start proof reading my comments!!!
by PocketNut is as sure as a peanut on December 8th, 2009
I got downrated altogether -45 today, always -5. Someone really seems to have issues.. Anyway, good answer+
by 773491 on December 8th, 2009
If you're getting clobbered that badly you need to talk to the AB staff, it's obvious someone's trolling you, I get the odd -5 or 6, usually when I argue with creationists, they seem to have a problem with me pointing out that their 'science' is laughable and easily debunked! Most seem to think that proving something Darwin wrote to be wrong, will somehow discount all scientific knowledge, and leave only their spurious argument.
I love arguing with creationists! They are always sooooo wrong!
by PocketNut is as sure as a peanut on December 9th, 2009
I'm used to it, and I'm sure it was a creationist. I don't care about ratings, people who downrate without leaving a comment are just cowards. I too love arguing with creationists, I see it as challenge to try to convince them that evolution happened. Actually I genuinly want to help them appreciate science, yet unfortunately most really are hopeless cases.. Out of the dozens of discussions I've had here with creationists, only about 3 of them actually changed their mind. I still hope though that the others might have learned something from it and start thinking about their ridiculous claims and assumptions in more detail..
by 773491 on December 9th, 2009