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Massive Modularity and Brain Evolution

Machery, Edouard (2006) Massive Modularity and Brain Evolution. In: [2006] Philosophy of Science Assoc. 20th Biennial Mtg (Vancouver) > PSA 2006 Contributed Papers.

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    Abstract

    Quartz (2002) argues that some recent findings about the evolution of the brain (Finlay & Darlington, 1995) are inconsistent with evolutionary psychologists’ massive modularity hypothesis. In substance, Quartz contends that since the volume of the neocortex evolved in a concerted manner, natural selection did not act on neocortical systems independently of each other, which is a necessary condition for the massive modularity of our cognition to be true. I argue however that Quartz’s argument fails to undermine the massive modularity hypothesis.

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    Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
    Keywords: Brain evolution, massive modularity, allometry, evolutionary psychology, neocortex
    Subjects: Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Psychology
    Conferences and Volumes: [2006] Philosophy of Science Assoc. 20th Biennial Mtg (Vancouver) > PSA 2006 Contributed Papers
    Depositing User: Edouard Machery
    Date Deposited: 13 Oct 2006
    Last Modified: 07 Oct 2010 11:14
    Item ID: 2972
    URI: http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/2972

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