Archaeologica.org

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20100206-21022.html

Almost two million years ago, early humans began eating food such as crocodiles, turtles and fish – a diet that could have played an important role in the evolution of human brains and our footsteps out of Africa, according to new research.

“This find is important because fish in particular has been associated with brain development and it is after this period that we see smaller-brained hominin species evolving into larger-brained Homo species- Homo erectus - the first hominin to leave Africa,” says Dr Herries, of the School of Medical Sciences.


Haven't we decided that brain size has nothing to do with intelligence?

The medical profession seem to be the ones lagging on that point.

Turtles must have been eaten quite early.

Fish would be stranded in drying ponds, frequented by elephants during the dry seasons.

As crocodiles would hunt homonids, they must have been a nuisance - hard to say when homonids developed enough technology to take care of them, but then they would have gone on the menu as well.

kbs2244 wrote: Haven't we decided that brain size has nothing to do with intelligence?

Yep. Though there is a correlation between brain to body size ratio and intelligence, the bigger factor is the packaged density of neurons and their connecting synapses.

Yep. Though there is a correlation between brain to body size ratio and intelligence,

No there isn't John, if there were the House Mouse would be smarter than us!
I'll stick my neck out and say I bet it's down to connections, to me it's the great mystery. Why does the Blue Whale need such an enormouse brain?

Roy.

Why does the Blue Whale need such an enormouse brain?

They do crossword puzzles in their spare time.

No doubt they have a whale of a time Min!

Roy.

Yes...it is also rumored that they greatly enjoy bad puns.

Touche!

Roy.

“if there were the House Mouse would be smarter than us! “

Isn’t that the premise behind “Hitchhikers Guide to Galaxy?”

Not really. While the mice were, in fact, the smartest creatures on the planet, they were merely three dimensional projections of higher dimensional beings.