#641 Robert Barton: The Evolution of the Primate Brain, The Visual Brain, and the Color Red
RECORDED ON MARCH 21st 2022.
Dr. Robert Barton is Professor in the Department of Anthropology, Member of the Durham Cultural Evolution Research Centre at Durham University, UK. He is an evolutionary biologist/anthropologist interested in brains, behavior and cognition, using phylogenetic comparative methods to study how these traits evolved. He developed and tested the ‘Visual brain hypothesis’ for primate brain size evolution. He is currently interested in the underestimated role of the cerebellum in brain evolution and cognition. He also works on the evolutionary and cultural significance of the color red.
In this episode, we talk about the evolution of the primate brain. We talk about the relationship between the brain, cognition, and behavior. We discuss ecological and social factors behind the evolution of the primate brain. We talk specifically about sexual selection, social selection, life history, and maternal investment. We talk about the evolution of the cerebellum and its functions. We explain why cognition cannot be disembodied. We talk about the “visual brain hypothesis”. We discuss the growth of the primate brain, and specifically the hominin brain, and ask if there is anything unique about the human brain. Finally, we talk about the evolution of the color red, and what it signals.
Time Links:
Intro
The relationship between the evolution of brains, cognition, and behavior
The factors behind the evolution of the primate brain
Sexual selection and social selection
Life history, and maternal investment
The evolution of the cerebellum and its functions
Embodied cognition
The “visual brain hypothesis”
The growth of the primate brain, and rates of growth in the hominin lineage
Is there anything unexpected about the human brain?
The evolution of the color red, and what it signals
Follow Dr. Barton’s work!
Follow Dr. Barton’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3tn4p3B
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3DxziWU
Twitter handle: @howbrainsevolve