tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post7999522898408093223..comments2024-01-04T04:11:55.717+02:00Comments on Dienekes’ Anthropology Blog: Our big human brains may depend on DUF1220 copy numbersDienekeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02082684850093948970noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post-31347595074022032472012-08-18T04:31:05.804+03:002012-08-18T04:31:05.804+03:00"Size also doesn't necessarily capture di..."Size also doesn't necessarily capture dimensions of brain organization like plasticity (i.e. how much of the brain is hard wired and how much it can adapt), something that for modern humans changes at different points in the life cycle. There is suggestive evidence that Neanderthals may have been less plastic than modern humans in how their brains were organized". <br /><br />There is possibly some truth in what you say but I think, as I've said before, you are inclined to emphasise the difference between moderns and Neanderthals rather than consider the similarities. terrythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17327062321100035888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post-74998541670458436762012-08-17T22:51:57.003+03:002012-08-17T22:51:57.003+03:00Since the Neandertals died out so long ago, I thin...Since the Neandertals died out so long ago, I think it unfair to assume they'd be inferior to us in any way had they survived. If their brains were larger, it's possible they'd have evolved more sophisticated survival methods, languages, arts, etc., than homo sapiens sapiens. DocGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17359004200002936544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post-39008063564783354462012-08-17T21:13:03.812+03:002012-08-17T21:13:03.812+03:00"Body size, expressed as height or stature, i..."Body size, expressed as height or stature, is an important determinant of many other biological variables. Thus, it is surprising that many textbooks portray a wrong picture of Neanderthal height as being "very short" or "just over 5 feet". Based on 45 long bones from maximally 14 males and 7 females, Neanderthals' height averages between 164 and 168 (males) resp. 152 to 156 cm (females). This height is indeed 12-14 cm lower than the height of post-WWII Europeans, but compared to Europeans some 20,000 or 100 years ago, it is practically identical or even slightly higher. Considering the body build of Neanderthals, new body weight estimates show that <b>they are only slightly above the cm/weight or the Body Mass Index of modern Americans or Canadians</b>. The calculation of the relative surface area (approximately 240-244 cm2/kg) is very low and supports earlier findings of a morphological and anatomical thermoregulatory adaptation to a cold climate in the Neanderthals."<br /><br />http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9850627Dienekeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02082684850093948970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post-56055749775667782272012-08-17T21:03:43.348+03:002012-08-17T21:03:43.348+03:00Brain size relative to body weight, rather than ab...Brain size relative to body weight, rather than absolute brain size, appears to be the best crude physiological proxy for intelligence. DUF1220 copy number does seem to corrolate with brain size, but one needs to massage the numbers before one can make a meaningful estimate about how that would manifest behaviorially.<br /><br />Any way you cut it, Neanderthals still had big brains, for example, relative to Gorillas. But, as Neanderthals were a bit more robust than modern humans, it wouldn't be surprising if their brain size relative to body size was the same or slightly less than modern humans.<br /><br />Size also doesn't necessarily capture dimensions of brain organization like plasticity (i.e. how much of the brain is hard wired and how much it can adapt), something that for modern humans changes at different points in the life cycle. There is suggestive evidence that Neanderthals may have been less plastic than modern humans in how their brains were organized.andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08172964121659914379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post-30263519540416988102012-08-17T06:53:31.711+03:002012-08-17T06:53:31.711+03:00"notice how Neandertals who were bigger-brain..."notice how Neandertals who were bigger-brained than living humans had a higher DUF1220-domain copy number (as estimated from the Green et al. 2010 data)". <br /><br />Yet more evidence that Neanderthal and modern humans were far more similar than many are prepared to accept.terrythttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17327062321100035888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post-21383823484011090522012-08-17T03:07:57.939+03:002012-08-17T03:07:57.939+03:00It would be interesting to know DUF copy number of...It would be interesting to know DUF copy number of Homo floresiensis.T. Kosmatkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12248826786957657011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post-47597658190207571442012-08-17T00:53:49.193+03:002012-08-17T00:53:49.193+03:00Actually, I realize that they may not have directl...Actually, I realize that they may not have directly compared human populations. princenuadhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02165977957244158593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7785493.post-16360251809355447982012-08-17T00:13:32.254+03:002012-08-17T00:13:32.254+03:00"And this held true whether we looked at diff..."And this held true whether we looked at different species or within the human population."<br /><br />Which human populations did they compare?princenuadhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02165977957244158593noreply@blogger.com