Energetics and the evolution of human brain size
Open accessAbstract
The human brain stands out among mammals by being unusually large. The expensive-tissue hypothesis explains its evolution by proposing a trade-off between the size of the brain and that of the digestive tract, which is smaller than expected for a primate of our body size. Although this hypothesis is widely accepted, empirical support so far has been equivocal. Here we test it in a sample of 100 mammalian species, including 23 primates, by analysing brain size and organ mass data. We found that, controlling for fat-free body mass, brain size is not negatively correlated with the mass of the digestive tract or any other expensive organ, thus refuting the expensive-tissue hypothesis. Nonetheless, consistent with the existence of energy trade-offs with brain size, we find that the size of brains and adipose depots are negatively correlated in mammals, indicating that encephalization and fat storage are compensatory strategies to buffer against starvation. However, these two strategies can be combined if fat storage does not unduly hamper locomotor efficiency. We propose that human encephalization was made possible by a combination of stabilization of energy inputs and a redirection of energy from locomotion, growth and reproduction.
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This trade-off is postulated to be due to locomotor constraints associated with carrying fat depots conflicting with the need for fat storage as a means of surviving periods of low food availability.
“This trade-off is postulated to be due to locomotor constraints associated with carrying fat depots conflicting with the need for fat storage as a means of surviving periods of low food availability.”
From THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF CETACEAN BRAIN AND BODY SIZE: CETACEAN BRAIN EVOLUTION (2013) · cites this paper as Navarrete et al. 2011
A trade-off between relative brain size and the amount of adipose depots has recently been demonstrated across mammals.
“Similarly, a trade-off between relative brain size and the amount of adipose depots has recently been demonstrated across mammals (Navarrete et al. 2011).”
From THE EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF CETACEAN BRAIN AND BODY SIZE: CETACEAN BRAIN EVOLUTION (2013) · cites this paper as Navarrete et al. 2011
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Navarrete, A., van Schaik, C. P., & Isler, K.
- Affiliations
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Navarrete, Ana
- Isler, Karin
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2011-11-09
- Volume
- 480
- Issue
- 7375
- Pages
- 91-93
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W1964674045
- Cited by
- 469
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 38 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 37 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 32
- FWCI
- 44.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.zora.uzh.ch
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (117789, 3100A0)
- A.H. Schultz-Stiftung zur Förderung Primatologischer Forschung
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Keywords
- human brain evolution, brain size, expensive tissue hypothesis, encephalization, adipose tissue, energy trade-offs, energy storage, primate brain size
- MeSH terms
- Adipose Tissue, Animals, Brain, Energy Metabolism, Biological Evolution, Female, Humans, Organ Size, Species Specificity
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