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Index to Creationist Claims,  edited by Mark Isaak,    Copyright © 2004
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Claim CB400.1:

Evolution does not explain how humans became so intelligent.

Source:

Yahya, Harun, 2004. Errors concerning human intelligence on the BBC's Horizon programme. http://www.harunyahya.net/V2/Lang/en/Pg/WorkDetail/Number/1905

Response:

  1. Intelligence has obvious advantages that can help with survival, so it is consistent with evolutionary theory. What remains to be explained is why human brains are significantly larger (relative to body size) than brains of other animals. Several hypotheses have been proposed, including the following: The last hypothesis is probably the most likely, although they are not mutually exclusive.

    Much of how larger brains evolved may be explained by neoteny, the prolonging of immature periods of development. Evolving a larger brain does not require large genetic change, just a relatively small change to keep the brain growing for a longer time (Gould 1977).

References:

  1. Gould, Stephen Jay, 1977. The child as man's real father. In: Ever Since Darwin, New York: W. W. Norton, pp. 63-69.
  2. Kaplan, H., K. Hill, J. Lancaster and A. M. Hurtado, 2000. A theory of human life history evolution: diet, intelligence, and longevity. Evolutionary Anthropology 9: 156-185. http://www.soc.upenn.edu/courses/2003/spring/soc621_iliana/readings/kapl00d.pdf

Further Reading:

Cosmides, Leda and John Tooby, 1997. Evolutionary psychology: A primer. http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/primer.html
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created 2003-8-27, modified 2004-2-22