Tiny brains raise big issues about evolution

Brain size may not matter as much as scientists previously thought, a surprise discovery has shown.

The ancient ho min in species homo na ledi, that lived in South Africa between 236,000 and 335,000 years ago, had a brain a third the size of ours.

Yet when researchers from the University of the Wiwatersrand in Johannesburg re-created the shape of the creature’s brain, they found it had an extraordinarily modern structure. It suggests that, despite having such a tiny brain, naledi may have been capable of language and advanced behaviours such as complex tool making.the ho min in’ sr em a ins had already revealed evidence of human-like feet, hands well-suited for toolmaking and teeth adapted to a high quality diet. The research is published in the journal Proceedings.