In case of brains, size doesn't matter

Bigger is better, not always as a new study shows that the size of the brain is not directly linked to intelligence. For decades men boasted of bigger bodies than women, and hence bigger brains, assuming they must be more intelligent. But research on the evolutionary origins of the brain shows this is a simplistic belief.

The study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience by Professor Seth Grant, of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, suggested it is not size alone that matters. Instead, it was found that during evolution increasingly sophisticated molecular processing of nerve impulses allowed the development of animals with more complex behaviours.

"We are one step closer to understanding the logic behind the complexity of human brains," Prof Grant said.

The current thinking is that the protein components of nerve connections, called synapses, are similar in most animals, with larger animals having more synapses, allowing more sophisticated thought. "Our simple view that more nerves is sufficient to explain more brain power is simply not supported by the study," Prof Grant said.