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SUMMARY:Are bigger brains better? - Lars Chittka\, Queen Mary\, University
  of London
DTSTART:20160617T150000Z
DTEND:20160617T163000Z
UID:TALK65336@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jimena Berni
DESCRIPTION:Attempts to relate brain size to behaviour and cognition have 
 rarely integrated information from insects with that from vertebrates. Man
 y insects\, however\, demonstrate that highly differentiated motor reperto
 ires\, extensive social structures and cognition are possible with very sm
 all brains\, emphasising that we need to understand the neural circuits\, 
 not just the size of brain regions\, which underlie these feats. Neural ne
 twork analyses show that cognitive features found in insects\, such as num
 erosity\, attention and categorisation-like processes\, may require only v
 ery limited neuron numbers. Thus\, brain size may have less of a relations
 hip with behavioural repertoire and cognitive capacity than generally assu
 med\, prompting the question of what large brains are for. Larger brains a
 re\, at least partly\, a consequence of larger neurons that are necessary 
 in large animals due to basic biophysical constraints. They also contain g
 reater replication of neuronal circuits\, adding precision to sensory proc
 esses\, detail to perception\, more parallel processing and enlarged stora
 ge capacity. Yet\, these advantages are unlikely to produce the qualitativ
 e shifts in behaviour that are often assumed to accompany increased brain 
 size. Instead\, modularity and interconnectivity  may be more important. W
 e demonstrate that advanced that seemingly complex forms of learning can b
 e generated with relatively the relatively simple neural connections betwe
 en sensory projection neurons and the insects' mushroom bodies.
LOCATION:Hodgkin Huxley Seminar Room\, Physiology Building\, Department of
  Physiology\, Development and Neuroscience.
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