Overview
Evolution of cognition
Jayden van Horik,
Nathan J. Emery,
Jayden van Horik
School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Nathan J. Emery
School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UKSearch for more papers by this author
Jayden van Horik,
Nathan J. Emery,
Jayden van Horik
School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Nathan J. Emery
School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UKSearch for more papers by this authorAbstract
Renewed interest in the field of comparative cognition over the past 30 years has led to a renaissance in our thinking of how cognition evolved. Here, we review historical and comparative approaches to the study of psychological evolution, focusing on cognitive differences based on evolutionary divergence, but also cognitive similarities based on evolutionary convergence. Both approaches have contributed to major theories of cognitive evolution in humans and non-human animals. As a result, not only have we furthered our understanding of the evolution of the human mind and its unique attributes, but we have also identified complex cognitive capacities in a few large-brained species, evolved from solving social and ecological challenges requiring a flexible mind. WIREs Cogni Sci 2011 2 621–633 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.144
This article is categorized under:
- Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition
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