What is one area of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning? This was discovered when he died. Every infant’s brain develops through a period of synaptogenesis—wanton proliferation of synapses, which are the connections between neurons—in the first year or so of life. When certain areas of the brain are larger or thicker in one person than in another, such as the temporal, parietal and frontal regions of the cortex, this has been found to be linked with a modest increase in intelligence.On average, people with bigger brains are actually slightly smarter than their smaller-brained counterparts. Modern brains average about 1300cc; Neandertals averaged about 1430cc. The inevitability of a child’s growth is both celebrated and mourned. More recently, McDaniel (2005) published a meta-analysis which explored more deeply the question at hand. In order for larger animals to command larger muscles, they need larger brains to send larger signals. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Variations in the HMGA2 gene have been connected with having a … In the last ten years, three meta-analyses on over 100 studies on the relationship between brain size and intelligence have been done. They are out there! Your genetics can also come into play. Why?To learn more about the brain, try these links.PET image in the public domain by author, Jens Maus.Have a different answer or more to add to this one?Dr. Intelligence does however correlate somewhat with the Brain-to-body mass ratio. Are elephants smarter than us?Once you answer that question, try answering this one. Studies demonstrate a correlation between brain size and intelligence, with larger brains predicting higher intelligence. There is no clear correlation between brain size and intelligence in modern people. The thickness of the frontal, parietal, and temporal regions contribute to this … Does brain size correlate to intelligence?Many people have wondered if having a larger brain means that you are more intelligent. For more info, see,Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. Can an IQ test really “test” them all, and does our society place an equal value on all types of intelligence?Instead of the size of our brain, human intelligence is likely linked to how efficiently various parts of our brain work together, and how each individual implements this strength into their life and environment. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Wait, really. It is most likely a combination of these things that will provide the best answer to intelligence.Let me leave you with one more piece of information. Do you think this might have something to do with the difference in intelligence between mammals? it is also thought that brain size has been affected by evolutionary pressure wrt smaller skull size which has to comfortably fit through the birth canal as a constraint. And More Questions From Our Readers,You Can Now Explore 103 'Lost' Hokusai Drawings Online,Nero, History's Most Despised Emperor, Gets a Makeover,A Newly Digitized Logbook Documents Life and Death on a Slave Trading Ship,Ice Age Cave Bear Found Preserved in Permafrost on Siberian Island,Trove of 27 Sealed Sarcophagi Unearthed in Egypt.Why Do Chinese Restaurants Have Such Similar Names?Humans Wiped Out Two-Thirds of the World’s Wildlife in 50 Years.Can Scientists Stop the Plague of the Spotted Lanternfly?Photographs From the Last Quiet Places on Earth. In 2005, psychologist Michael McDaniel evaluated studies that used brain-imaging and standard intelligence tests and found that unequivocally, bigger brains correlated with smarter people [source: McDaniel]. People may often wonder where these children’s parents actually shop to find appropriately sized winter hats.Members of the general public witnessing these wonders of nature basking in their (big) baby strollers may also ask themselves another common question: hey, is that kid the next Einstein?Considering the circumstances, it is a logical thing to ask. (2016, July 19). Contact the Extended Studies Coordinator Brian Glach (.>>But does brain size correlate with intelligence if one compares modern people to one another? Retrieved September 22, 2020 from.Dr. Some say this is a feature that could have helped Einstein explore his renowned intellect and share it with us. Brain Size Correlates With IQ. Neandertals survived successfully for over 200,000 years. The intuitive notion that a “big brain” means “more intelligent” was first threatened some time ago, when we discovered animals with larger brains than ours: elephants and whales. As we hinted in our first blog, it is strongly suspected that it was the behavior of the incoming Homo sapiens that may have had more to do with Neandertal’s extinction and not necessarily something inherent in Neandertal behaviors. We must be cautious here. Neandertal brains were shaped differently, and we will address the issues surrounding the shapes of brains in our next blog.Interested in taking an undergraduate or graduate online course (for credit or non-credit) about Neandertals from the University of Colorado’s Center for Cognitive Archaeology? According to Scientific American, how big a person’s brain is accounts for somewhere between 9 and 16% of the differences in general intelligence in any given population. Let’s first look at size.Neandertal brains were bigger than modern brains, about 10% bigger. Yes, larger brains often are an indicator of greater intelligence;... See full answer below.