Metabolic costs of brain size evolution

2006/09/12 by Karin Isler, Carel P. van Schaik · 5 citations
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Physiological and biochemical adaptations #Bat Biology and Ecology Studies #Evolution and Paleontology Studies

paper · doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0538

openalex publication_date 2006/09/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

In the ongoing discussion about brain evolution in vertebrates, the main interest has shifted from theories focusing on energy balance to theories proposing social or ecological benefits of enhanced intellect. With the availability of a wealth of new data on basal metabolic rate (BMR) and brain size and with the aid of reliable techniques of comparative analysis, we are able to show that in fact energetics is an issue in the maintenance of a relatively large brain, and that brain size is positively correlated with the BMR in mammals, controlling for body size effects. We conclude that attempts to explain brain size variation in different taxa must consider the ability to sustain the energy costs alongside cognitive benefits.

Citations

• Ratio of central nervous system to body metabolism in vertebrates: its constancy and functional basis
• The Expensive-Tissue Hypothesis: The Brain and the Digestive System in Human and Primate Evolution
• Inferring evolutionary processes from phylogenies
• Brains, Innovations and Evolution in Birds and Primates

Cited by

• Comparative analysis of encephalization in mammals reveals relaxed constraints on anthropoid primate and cetacean brain scaling
• The effect of body size evolution and ecology on encephalization in cave bears and extant relatives
• Evidence for a convergent slowdown in primate molecular rates and its implications for the timing of early primate evolution
• Behavioural plasticity: an interaction between evolution and experience
• Encephalization quotient [wikipedia]