Notes (week 2) Monday, January 13, 2020 2:10 PM Ch 2 Why are humans so much weaker than our nearest primitive relatives? Why cant we keep it? · Large brains require an enormous amount of energy · Having smaller muscles allowed humans to evolve larger more resource- intensive brains . But how can humans extract enough energy from their foods if their disegtive tracts are shorter . They cook their food . Cooked food requires less energy to extract the nutrueints . The cultural incention of cooking allowed humans to evolve shorter intestines and larger brains But why do Primates have such big brains? 3 Competing Theories . Many species of primates eat fruit, and a fruit diet requires remembering where you found fruit trees sio you can return when they're ripe . Many species of primates eat nutrient-rich food that is difficult to extract, like termites and nuts · Many species of primates live in large social groups networks which require one to keep track of social relationships, and to learn from each other Primates that live in larger groups tend to have larger neocortex ratios But does having larger brains mean that humans are smarter at everything -no Humans aren't just social; they're ultra-social · Humans live in larger groups than other primates
· Humans appear more interested in each other's activities than do other primates · Humans are really interested in others o It tells us who is forming alliances Human vs Ape learning Face-off · Contrasted the learning abilities of three primates: chimpanzees, orangutans, and 2.5 ... Problem solving tasks -- > humans (2-3) and chimps are pretty similar Social learning tasks -- > humans are better How are humans distinctive in that they engage in so much social learning? · Being able to learn from other