Early Evolution of Human Memory: Great Apes, Tool-making, and Cognition

Early Evolution of Human Memory: Great Apes, Tool-making, and Cognition
ISBN-10
3319644475
ISBN-13
9783319644479
Category
Psychology
Pages
150
Language
English
Published
2017-08-22
Publisher
Springer
Authors
Michael J. Walker, Héctor M. Manrique

Description

This work examines the cognitive capacity of great apes in order to better understand early man and the importance of memory in the evolutionary process. It synthesizes research from comparative cognition, neuroscience, primatology as well as lithic archaeology, reviewing findings on the cognitive ability of great apes to recognize the physical properties of an object and then determine the most effective way in which to manipulate it as a tool to achieve a specific goal. The authors argue that apes (Hominoidea) lack the human cognitive ability of imagining how to blend reality, which requires drawing on memory in order to envisage alternative future situations, and thereby modifying behavior determined by procedural memory. This book reviews neuroscientific findings on short-term working memory, long-term procedural memory, prospective memory, and imaginative forward thinking in relation to manual behavior. Since the manipulation of objects by Hominoidea in the wild (particularly in order to obtain food) is regarded as underlying the evolution of behavior in early Hominids, contrasts are highlighted between the former and the latter, especially the cognitive implications of ancient stone-tool preparation.

Get the book

Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Search the book
eBay.com
eBay.com
Search the book

Other editions

Similar books

  • The Evolution of Memory Systems: Ancestors, Anatomy, and Adaptations
    The Evolution of Memory Systems: Ancestors, Anatomy, and Adaptations
    By Steven P. Wise, Elisabeth A. Murray, Kim S. Graham

    Later, most of these cells encoded the location of the goal. These results support the idea that the caudal prefrontal cortex functions in both topdown and bottom-up attention, including both its overt and covert varieties146.

  • Stone Tools and the Evolution of Human Cognition
    Stone Tools and the Evolution of Human Cognition
    By Iain Davidson, April Nowell

    Stone tools are the most durable and common type of archaeological remain and one of the most important sources of information about behaviors of early hominins. Stone Tools and the...

  • Discovering the Brain
    Discovering the Brain
    By Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, Sandra Ackerman

    This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."

  • on Human Memory: Evolution, Progress, and Reflections on the 30th Anniversary of the Atkinson-shiffrin Model
    on Human Memory: Evolution, Progress, and Reflections on the 30th Anniversary of the Atkinson-shiffrin Model
    By Chizuko Izawa

    The book's notable authors analyze and deliberate on the model's monumental scientific contributions to human learning and memory. They also challenge it and delve into its likely future evolution and impact on learning and memory.

  • In the Light of Evolution: Volume VII: The Human Mental Machinery
    In the Light of Evolution: Volume VII: The Human Mental Machinery
    By National Academy of Sciences

    Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, selfperpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the ...

  • Journey of the Mind: How Thinking Emerged from Chaos
    Journey of the Mind: How Thinking Emerged from Chaos
    By Ogi Ogas, Sai Gaddam

    From there, the book explores the nanoscopic archaeon, whose thinking machinery consists of a handful of molecules, then advances through amoebas, worms, frogs, birds, monkeys, and humans, explaining what each “new” mind could do that ...

  • Are We Hardwired?: The Role of Genes in Human Behavior
    Are We Hardwired?: The Role of Genes in Human Behavior
    By William R. Clark, Michael Grunstein

    Perhaps most interesting, the book suggests that the source of our ability to choose, to act unexpectedly, may lie in the chaos principle: the most minute differences during activation of a single neuron may lead to utterly unpredictable ...

  • Evolution of Learning and Memory Mechanisms
    Evolution of Learning and Memory Mechanisms
    By Mark A. Krause, Mauricio R. Papini, Karen L. Hollis

    This volume features research by both outstanding early-career scientists as well as familiar luminaries in the field.

  • From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development
    From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development
    By Institute of Medicine, National Research Council, Board on Children

    Drawing from new findings, this book presents important conclusions about nature-versus-nurture, the impact of being born into a working family, the effect of politics on programs for children, the costs and benefits of intervention, and ...

  • In the Light of Evolution: Volume X: Comparative Phylogeography
    In the Light of Evolution: Volume X: Comparative Phylogeography
    By National Academy of Sciences

    The central goal of the In the Light of Evolution (ILE) series is to promote the evolutionary sciences through state-of-the-art colloquia-in the series of Arthur M. Sackler colloquia sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences-and their ...