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Evolution, brain size, and variations in intelligence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 August 2017

Louis D. Matzel  and
Bruno Sauce
Louis D. Matzel
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ [email protected]@rutgers.eduhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Louis_Matzelhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bruno_Sauce
Bruno Sauce
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ [email protected]@rutgers.eduhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Louis_Matzelhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bruno_Sauce
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Abstract

Across taxonomic subfamilies, variations in intelligence (G) are sometimes related to brain size. However, within species, brain size plays a smaller role in explaining variations in general intelligence (g), and the cause-and-effect relationship may be opposite to what appears intuitive. Instead, individual differences in intelligence may reflect variations in domain-general processes that are only superficially related to brain size.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e213
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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