About Cognitive Evolution: Beyond Big Brains

This collection is now closed to submissions.

The cognitive abilities of humans are regarded as a unique factor determining our success as a species. Our cognitive abilities (e.g. causal inference) enabled us to use, invent and enhance tools, allowing us to inhabit new niches, and develop more diverse ways of life. Simultaneously, our brains have evolved to allow us to maintain larger social networks and more intimate social relationships. Brain size is often regarded as the most important indicator of psychological complexity. However, the accelerated development of material culture towards the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic (often referred to as the Upper Palaeolithic Revolution) despite no obvious genetic or neurological changes, as well as the presence of small brained hominins such as Homo naledi and Homo floresiensis late in evolutionary history suggests a more complex picture. Furthermore, there is increasing reason to suggest that the idea of a single typical human brain misrepresents cognitive diversity in modern and ancient populations. Due to these recent advances there is a need to reassess how we frame our depiction of cognitive evolution, and a need to develop a more inclusive perspective.  

This collection welcomes submissions which explore these ‘invisible’ aspects of our cognitive evolution, including but not limited to changes in: neural connectivity, emotionality (e.g. empathy), sociality, and psychological and cognitive diversity.  

Keywords: Human Evolution; Cognition; Sociality; Neurodiversity, Invisible Archaeology 

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