The High Cost Of Intelligence

[druglessdouglas]

The High Cost Of Intelligence
by Kate Melville

The metabolic changes responsible for the evolution of human cognitive abilities indicate that the brain may have been pushed to the limit of its capabilities and that schizophrenia may be one of the costly by-products of this evolutionary leap, say scientists in the journal Genome Biology .

The idea that some neurological diseases are the by-products of increases in metabolic capacity and brain size has been suggested previously, but in this new study the authors used new technical approaches to establish the validity of the theory.

Philipp Khaitovich, from the Max-Planck-Institute, led a collaboration of researchers from Cambridge, Leipzig and Shanghai who investigated brains from healthy and schizophrenic humans and compared them with chimpanzee and rhesus macaque brains.

They then looked for differences in gene expression and metabolite concentrations and, as Khaitovich explained; "identified molecular mechanisms involved in the evolution of human cognitive abilities by combining biological data from two research directions: evolutionary and medical."

They identified the molecular changes that took place over the course of human evolution and also considered the molecular changes observed in schizophrenia. They found that expression levels of many genes and metabolites that are altered in schizophrenia, especially those related to energy metabolism, also changed rapidly during evolution. "Our new research suggests that schizophrenia is a by-product of the increased metabolic demands brought about during human brain evolution," said Khaitovich.

"Our brains are unique among all species in their enormous metabolic demand. If we can explain how our brains sustain such a tremendous metabolic flow, we will have a much better chance to understand how the brain works and why it sometimes breaks," concluded Khaitovich.

 

[Meduzz]

Interesting! Increasing complexity of the brain caused by natural evolution versus the decreasing space for our mind caused by cultural evolution.

Clash of titans if you ask me...

 

[silv]

Interesting stuff, did you find a larger article?

 

[psm]

the brains of elephants are much bigger, but lack a little bit in complexity.

the smallest brain in the whale family (especially among dolphins) are at least as big as a human brain, but much more complex. and they are not as full of shit, as we are. they are 30 million years ahead and we still refer to ourselves as the crown of evolution. :wasted:

 

[Meduzz]

the brains of elephants are much bigger, but lack a little bit in complexity.

the smallest brain in the whale family (especially among dolphins) are at least as big as a human brain, but much more complex. and they are not as full of shit, as we are. they are 30 million years ahead and we still refer to ourselves as the crown of evolution. :wasted:

Well our niche is culture and technology, while dolphins have a more minimalistic buddhist like aproach to life :lol:

 

[druglessdouglas]

there is a related article

ptember 2007
Boffins Investigate Schizophrenia Genes
by Kate Melville

A new study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B tries to uncover why several genes with strong associations to schizophrenia have evolved rapidly thanks to positive selection during human evolution.

The international team of geneticists found a higher prevalence of positive selection on genes known to be associated with the disorder than a comparable control set of non-associated genes, functioning in similar neuronal processes. This is consistent with the theory that positive selection may play a role in the persistence of schizophrenia, despite its strong effects on reproductive fitness and its high heritability from generation-to-generation.

The team says the genetic evidence they gathered is consistent with the theory that schizophrenia represents, in part, a maladaptive by-product of adaptive changes during human evolution - possibly to do with aspects of creativity and human cognition. "The world-wide presence of this disorder, despite its impact on human health and reproductive fitness, is somewhat of a paradox," said Dr Steve Dorus from the University of Bath, UK. "The selective forces influencing the evolution of these [schizophrenia] genes remain unknown."

The researchers speculate that given the complex genetic nature of the condition, selection may be mediated by a diverse array of neural, physiological and psychological mechanisms. "Schizophrenia has also been associated with creativity throughout recorded history, but whether this link has a genetic basis is not yet clear," noted Dorus.

The study looked at the molecular evolution of the 76 genes that have the strongest genetic association with schizophrenia. The researchers identified evidence for positive selection on a variety of genes, including three genes that have the best functional or reproducible associations with the disorder.

"For the first time it is possible to complement our genetic understanding of the disorder with substantial evolutionary and comparative genomic analyses," said Dr Dorus. "Hopefully, a better understanding of the evolution of the substrates underlying the disease will assist in characterizing how they are dysregulated in the disorder. Understanding the impact of positive selection may also help refine hypotheses concerning genetic links between schizophrenia and aspects of human creativity and cognition."

Related articles:
Microorganisms Behind Schizophrenia And Alzheimer's?
Sexual Success And The Schizoid Factor
Psychosis A Smelly Issue
Delusions And Mental Illness

Source: University of Bath

 

[psm]

Well our niche is culture and technology, while dolphins have a more minimalistic buddhist like aproach to life :lol:

true hedonists with nearly perfect form of communications. a species that can see its surrounding as fetus and communicate with the other members of the tribe, including the mother... just imagine that

 

[psm]

Indeed I think that schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, which in my believe are caused and/or triggered mostly by repression and inner conflicts, easily made it into genetical form. after all, repression and conditioning to inner conflicts is around long enough.

 

[silv]

the brains of elephants are much bigger, but lack a little bit in complexity.

the smallest brain in the whale family (especially among dolphins) are at least as big as a human brain, but much more complex. and they are not as full of shit, as we are. they are 30 million years ahead and we still refer to ourselves as the crown of evolution. :wasted:

I'm sorry but in what way can you show me that gangraping randomly behaving playing animals are so many years ahead of us? All I hear about dolphins is that when they get sexually aroused they just grab a nearest female/male/different species and gangrape it.

 

[psm]

I'm sorry but in what way can you show me that gangraping randomly behaving playing animals are so many years ahead of us? All I hear about dolphins is that when they get sexually aroused they just grab a nearest female/male/different species and gangrape it.

because they are not subject to any morale, that would disallow such an action. morale is a sole human invention and the worst we ever came up with. besides that, their behavior is not at all random. and the reason why they seem to play all the time is, because they enjoy what they are doing. they are true hedonists. even the most tedious task is done with joy and compassion, or not done at all.
and they take responsibility for their space and even for other species.

for example: dolphins are the only natural enemy of sharks. and dolphins are known to kill them. but they do so because of ecological measures. when there are too many sharks in an area, dolphins drive them away, or kill them, to protect the wildlife from being exterminated by the feeding machine shark. but when an overpopulation of fish occurs, dolphins drive sharks INTO that area to help the ecosystem to balance out.

humans are blunt idiots. the reason we have technology is, because we would be pretty helpless without it. the more sophisticated we get in terms of outer body evolution, the more we loose our real self and the more dependent we are on our inventions. dolphins choose a simple way of existence, when they crawled back into the water 30 millions of years ago. and while we climbed trees in fear of life, they became masters of their surrounding, doing unfeasible deeds. things we can't not explain (like the enormous depth they can go into, or the unexplainable starting speed they can accomplish). they became one with their environment.

they see real 3D. true 360°, like a ball around them. distance is not a approximate measurement for them, but an exact understanding. communicating over hundred of miles, transporting a 1 to 1 IS cognitive awareness to each other.

Humans? Our greatest achievement is to build caves by hand and move them. Just the number of ways we invented to kill each other. and we waste time to fight over believes! BELIEVES! Not knowledge and assured facts, but believes!
Humans are pathetic.

 

[Nomada]

Do we need more courage to face these ever increasing in intensity spirals of complexity? or some other quality?

or are we doomed then? because I certainly feel everything is getting more complicated around me. damn, is it just me? :shock:

 

[restin]

The bible told us... :wink:

 

[Nomada]

There were right all along...

The weight of the universe is certainly frightening
I love it, being crushed between red giants.

 

[magickmumu]

the max planx institute

true hallucinations
chapter 17

:?: :?: :?:

 

[BrainEater]

Do we need more courage to face these ever increasing in intensity spirals of complexity? or some other quality?

or are we doomed then? because I certainly feel everything is getting more complicated around me. damn, is it just me? :shock:

it has always been that complicated, yet if one would observe carefully, one would see, it has been kept simple since ever then.

we have always been doomed, that's a quality of being doomed you know...??

 

[psm]

Do we need more courage to face these ever increasing in intensity spirals of complexity? or some other quality?

or are we doomed then? because I certainly feel everything is getting more complicated around me. damn, is it just me? :shock:

i think that simple re-wireing would do the trick. and soon we will have technology that will help out with implants. whether we still make it there, I don't know. but it is possible.

 

[BrainEater]

you want to end up with implants in your brain??? shit.... my wish is not to have the need of any of that shit.... well in the future if you fucked up your brain, you could simply get a cloned new one and have it let reprogrammed and implanted for you.....

 

[psm]

you want to end up with implants in your brain??? shit.... my wish is not to have the need of any of that shit.... well in the future if you fucked up your brain, you could simply get a cloned new one and have it let reprogrammed and implanted for you.....

i don't condone technology. it is a vital part of our evolution. it is a way to compensate for the biological lack.

Do you know how hard it is to emulate 3D with a brain that is built for 2D(human). I would be happy if I could spontaneously grow a new set of brainflaps, but it won't happen.
It is not a matter of fucking the brain up, it is a matter of coping with the massive amount of information. to reorganize into a new pattern of thinking, to evolve.

technology will be the way there. first with simple electromechanical ways, then with bioengineering. that is, if we make it that far, part of human future and part of human nature.

what do you think a mon from the 10th century would have said to a single day travel around the world, or sharing knowledge with unlimited people all over the world, without the need of leaving his cell?

 

[Nomada]

"it has always been that complicated, yet if one would observe carefully, one would see, it has been kept simple since ever then.

we have always been doomed, that's a quality of being doomed you know...??"

Yes! and only after knowing that we're "just" doomed star dust does the flight of golden wings reveals itself before us.
Death is the philosopher's ultimate pleasure.
With heart in flames, steady eyes and flowered chest must the psychonaut enter hyperspace, of red giants and supernovas

LLove n' light for you :weedman:

 

[BrainEater]

"it has always been that complicated, yet if one would observe carefully, one would see, it has been kept simple since ever then.

we have always been doomed, that's a quality of being doomed you know...??"

Yes! and only after knowing that we're "just" doomed star dust does the flight of golden wings reveals itself before us.
Death is the philosopher's ultimate pleasure.
With heart in flames, steady eyes and flowered chest must the psychonaut enter hyperspace, of red giants and supernovas

LLove n' light for you :weedman:

you got it!!!! hehe!!! speaking in images...

peace :weedman: