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Cited by 229Evolution and Paleontology StudiesMorphological variations and asymmetryPrimate Behavior and Ecology

Evolutionary radiations and convergences in the structural organization of mammalian brains

de Winter, Willem, Oxnard, Charles E.·2001·Nature
DOI 10.1038/35055547
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Abstract

The sizes of mammalian brain components seem to be mostly related to the sizes of the whole brain (and body), suggesting a one-dimensional scale of encephalization. Previous multivariate study of such data concludes that evolutionary selection for enlargement of any one brain part is constrained to selection for a concerted enlargement of the whole brain. However, interactions between structurally related pairs of brain parts confirm reports of differential change in brain nuclei, and imply mosaic rather than concerted evolution. Here we analyse a large number of variables simultaneously using multi-dimensional methods. We show that the relative proportions of different systems of functionally integrated brain structures vary independently between different mammalian orders, demonstrating separate evolutionary radiations in mammalian brain organization. Within each major order we identify clusters of unrelated species that occupy similar behavioural niches and have convergently evolved similar brain proportions. We conclude that within orders, mosaic brain organization is caused by selective adaptation, whereas between orders it suggests an interplay between selection and constraints.

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30 of 30 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The relative size of individual brain structures indicates variation beyond purely size-related allometric scaling.

    “The relative size of individual brain structures indicates variation beyond purely size-related allometric scaling [3,4].”

    From Brain reorganization, not relative brain size, primarily characterizes anthropoid brain evolution (2013) · cites this paper as [3]

  • The systemic interaction between different brain structures is better reflected in approaches that allow assessing the extent to which particular variables differentially contribute to explaining different patterns of covariation between all variables in the model (e.g. principal component analysis).

    “the systemic interaction between different brain structures, in which individual brain structures contribute to different information processing loops to various extents, is better reflected in approaches that allow assessing the extent to which particular variables differentially contribute to explaining different patterns of covariation between all variables in the model (e.g. principal compon”

    From Brain reorganization, not relative brain size, primarily characterizes anthropoid brain evolution (2013) · cites this paper as [3]

  • Studies of phylogenetic variation in the brain structure of mammals and birds indicate many dimensions of variation, not one or two.

    “And studies of phylogenetic variation in the brain structure of mammals and birds indicate not one or two dimensions of variation but many [21–24].”

    From Embodied cognitive evolution and the cerebellum (2012) · cites this paper as [24]

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Authors
de Winter, W., & Oxnard, C. E.
Affiliations
The University of Western Australia (AU)
Corresponding author
Oxnard, Charles E.
Venue
Nature
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2001-02
Volume
409
Issue
6821
Pages
710-714
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
DOI
10.1038/35055547
OpenAlex
W1679410327
Cited by
229
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 16
FWCI
12.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Geometry and Topology › Morphological variations and asymmetry
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
Keywords
mammalian brain evolution, brain size, encephalization, convergent evolution, mosaic evolution, brain organization, evolutionary constraints
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Behavior, Brain, Cephalometry, Biological Evolution, Humans, Mammals, Phylogeny, Selection, Genetic, Species Specificity

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