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Human brain evolution in a Malthusian economy
Chu, Angus C.
2024-11
Source PublicationMacroeconomic Dynamics
ABS Journal Level2
ISSN1365-1005
Abstract

Why did the human brain evolve? This study develops a Malthusian growth model with heterogeneous agents and natural selection to explore the evolution of human brain size. We find that if the cognitive advantage of a larger brain dominates its higher metabolic costs, then the average brain size increases over time, which is consistent with the rising trend in human brain size that started over 2 million years ago. Furthermore, an improvement in hunting-gathering productivity (e.g., the discovery of using stone tools and fire in hunting animals and cooking food) helps to trigger this human brain size evolution. As the average brain size increases, the average level of hunting-gathering productivity also rises over time. Quantitatively, our model is able to replicate the trend in hominin brain evolution over the last 10 million years.

KeywordNatural Selection Brain Size Evolution Malthusian Growth Theory
DOI10.1017/S1365100524000646
URLView the original
Indexed BySSCI
Language英語English
WOS Research AreaBusiness & Economics
WOS SubjectEconomics
WOS IDWOS:001362266300001
PublisherCAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, EDINBURGH BLDG, SHAFTESBURY RD, CB2 8RU CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND
Scopus ID2-s2.0-85210372965
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Citation statistics
Document TypeJournal article
CollectionFaculty of Social Sciences
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
Corresponding AuthorChu, Angus C.
AffiliationDepartment of Economics, University of Macau, Macau, China
First Author AffilicationUniversity of Macau
Corresponding Author AffilicationUniversity of Macau
Recommended Citation
GB/T 7714
Chu, Angus C.. Human brain evolution in a Malthusian economy[J]. Macroeconomic Dynamics, 2024.
APA Chu, Angus C..(2024). Human brain evolution in a Malthusian economy. Macroeconomic Dynamics.
MLA Chu, Angus C.."Human brain evolution in a Malthusian economy".Macroeconomic Dynamics (2024).
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