This article asks the question, do animals who have bigger brains survive longer in nature? For smaller animals, the answer is yes. The argument is that smaller animals, such as rodents, who have larger brains tend to be more likely to thrive when introduced to new places. They are more likely to adapt and perform, thus increasing their chance of having offspring who possess the same larger brain. This ability to adapt to new environments also lessens the chance for that species to go extinct.
The ideas presented in this article are relevant because they relate to the topic of natural selection, which we have been studying. This process that favors those who are more suited to their environment over others. The organisms that are able to adapt better survive longer, produce more off spring, and soon become the majority of a species.
URL: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=mostly-big-brained-survive
Author: Emma Marris and Nature Magazine
Date Published: July 17, 2012
So if a big animal has a big brain then can they also survive longer?
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