Development and Evolution of Brain Size

Development and Evolution of Brain Size: Behavioral Implications contains the proceedings of a symposium entitled ""Development and Evolution of Brain Size: Behavioral Implications,"" held at William Paterson College in Wayne, New Jersey, in April 1978. The papers explore the relationship between evolution and development and its implications for brain size and behavior.
This book is comprised of 18 chapters and begins with an overview of the brain-behavior relationship, with emphasis on the importance of brain size for behavior; the effects of genetic selection for brain size on brain substructures and behavior; and whether genetic and environmental manipulations of brain size have similar consequences. The next two chapters explain evolutionary theory and the evolution of the human brain as well as diversity in brain size. A general model for brain evolution that offers some synthetic possibilities for approaching the questions of brain evolution, size, allometry, and reorganization is then described. The correlation between cerebral indices and behavioral differences is also discussed, along with biochemical correlates of selective breeding for brain size. The results of an experiment that assessed the effects of early undernutrition on brain and behavior of developing mice are presented.
This monograph should be of interest to students and practitioners in a wide range of disciplines, including evolutionary biology and clinical psychology.

Contenu

List of Contributors
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter I Introduction: Toward Understanding the Brain-Behavior Relationship
What is the Importance of Brain Size for Behavior?
What are the Effects of Genetic Selection for Brain Size on Brain Substructures and Behavior?
Do Genetic and Environmental Manipulations of Brain Size Have Similar Behavioral Consequences?
Emphases and Omissions
References
Chapter II Evolutionary Theory and the Evolution of the Human Brain
Some Present Problems in Evolution
Human Evolution and the Evolution of the Human Brain
Conclusions
References
Chapter III The Evolution of Diversity in Brain Size
Above the Species Level
Diversity within Species
Multivariate Analysis
Summary and Conclusions
References
Chapter IV Brain Size, Allometry, and Reorganization: Toward a Synthesis
Scope and Purpose
Toward a Model
How Good are the Primate Data?
Some Preliminary Multivariate Analysis of the Stephan, Bouchot, and Andy (1970) Primate Data
Conclusion
References
Chapter V Cerebral Indices and Behavioral Differences
Intelligence: General Ability or Task Specific
Testing Various Hypotheses about Intelligence
Attempts of Comparative Psychology to Study between Species Differences
Removing Special Abilities from Performance Scores
Conclusion
References
Chapter VI Correlated Brain and Intelligence Development in Humans
General Features of Organ Development
Human Brain Growth
Animal Brain Growth
Manifestations of Brain Growth Stages in Properties Other Than Weight
Regionalization of Brain Growth Stages
The Functional Significance of the Brain Growth Stages
Two Examples of Brain-Behavior Stage Correlation in Animals
Summary
References
Chapter VII Genetic Techniques as Tools for Analysis of Brain-Behavior Relationships
Rationale for Using Genetic Techniques
The Genetic Tools
Comment
References
Chapter VIII Correlates of Mouse Brain Weight: A Search for Component Morphological Traits
Behavioral Correlates of Genetic Selection for Brain Weight
Volumes of Forebrain Regions in Mice Selected for Brain Weight
Relationships between Brain Regions in Other Mammalian Species
Relationships between Brain Regions in inbred Strains of Mice
Relationships between Brain Regions in Mice Genetically Selected for Brain Weight
Implications
References
Chapter IX Brain Weight Brain Chemical Content and Their Early Manipulation
Brain Weight: Correlations with Other Brain Parameters
Natural Cell Death during Early Brain Development
Variability of Brain Parameters
Genetic Manipulation of Brain Parameters
Early Environmental Manipulation of Brain Parameters
Summary and Conclusions
References
Chapter X Fuller BWS Lines: History and Results
Quantitative Aspects of Selection
Selection Differential
Brain Growth Patterns in BWS Lines
Body Weight and Fertility of BWS Mice
Behavioral Correlates
Intertrial Interval and Water Maze Learning
Audiogenic Seizure Susceptibility in BWS Mice
Summary
References
Chapter XI Learning Performances in Mice Genetically Selected for Brain Weight: Problems of Generality
Assessment Problems Posed by Genetics
Learning Performance in Lines Selected for Brain Weight
Line Differences
Brain-Behavior Correlations in Heterogeneous Stocks
Conclusions
References
Chapter XII Biochemical Correlates of Selective Breeding for Brain Size
Brain Weight Development
Biochemical Characteristics
Conclusions
References
Chapter XIII Fuller BWS Lines: Parental Influences on Brain Size and Behavioral Development
Models of Pathways from Selection to Behavior
Alternative Hypotheses
Effects of Fostering Procedures on Brain Weight and Behavioral Development
Summary and Conclusions
References
Chapter XIV Responsiveness of Brain Size to Individual Experience: Behavioral and Evolutionary Implications
Historical Background
Effects of Differential Experience on Brain Measures
Hypotheses to Account for Effects of Differential Experience on Brain
Possible Benefits of Structural Plasticity
References
Chapter XV Experience-Induced Changes in Brain Fine Structure: Their Behavioral Implications
Experience-Induced Changes of the Neuron Level
Relationships to Behavior
Differential Rearing and the Hippocampus
Environmental Influence on Primate Cerebellum
Conclusions
References
Chapter XVI Effects of Early Undernutrition on Brain and Behavior of Developing Mice
Undernutrition and Development of Inhibitory Capacities
Conclusions
References
Chapter XVII Genetic Correlations between Brain Size and Some Behaviors of Housemice
Strategies for Studying Genetic Correlations in Laboratory Animals
The Representative Design Approach to Animal Research
A Study of Gene-Environment Interaction and Genetic Correlations
Reasons for Expecting Modest Brain-Behavior Correlations with a Laboratory Species
Implications for Further Research
References
Chapter XVIII The Role of Development in the Brain-Behavior Relationship
What Is the Importance of Brain Size for Behavior?
What Are the Effects of Genetic Selection on Brain Substructures?
Behavioral Consequences?
Integrating Theme: The Role of Development in the Evolution of Brain Size
References
Author Index
Subject Index