24
R. Barrett and P. P. Delsanto
to the other family members, the original fallen tree, like the sun, the moon
and the river, had always been there.
Golding provides us here with a glimpse of the possible origins of rational
thought. Is this how it began, with the sharing of experiences and memories?
Did intelligence evolve from this exchange of mental images?
Archaeological research and findings from the Human Genome Project
suggest that modern cognition and behaviour had developed in sub-Saharan
Africa by at least 50,000 BP. 1 The last glacial period, or Ice Age, extended
from 110,000 to 12,000 years ago. During this period, the environment
changed markedly, with the sea level falling and rising by many metres. The
changing environmental conditions during this period may have provided
an evolutionary advantage to those primates with a higher intelligence, and
influenced the evolution of modern humans [2]. The spread of Homo sapiens
from Africa to other continents appears to have occurred in several waves
during this period, and to have been facilitated by low sea levels arising from
large masses of water being tied up in glaciers. Genetic evidence suggests that
the first exodus occurred about 70,000 years ago, and followed the coastline
of Asia to Australia, which was reached at least 50,000 years ago. Subsequent
migrations led to the populations of Central Asia, Europe and the Americas
[3, 4].
Today intelligence appears to be dependent on a multiplicity of genes, as
well as the environment, so it is likely that it is a characteristic that evolved
over time, rather than from a single spontaneous genetic mutation [5].
Before discussing intelligence, we need to be clear what exactly we are
talking about. Howard Gardner in his 1983 book, Frames of Mind: The
Theory of Multiple Intelligences, lists nine different types of intelligence [6].
Some of these involve musical ability and hand–eye coordination, which
some might regard as aptitudes, rather than intelligence. In our book we are
interested primarily in Gardner’s category: Logical-Mathematical Intelligence,
which deals with logic, abstractions, reasoning, numbers and critical thinking.
As intelligence evolved, humans (or Homo sapiens, as Homo Neanderthalensis had by now either lost their identity by interbreeding with their
newly arrived cousins, or become extinct) turned their skills to survival. They
learned how better to protect themselves and their families from the elements
and wild beasts, and how to gather enough food on an almost regular basis.
A higher level of intelligence improved their chances of survival.
If intelligence offered humanity an increased prospect of survival in a
hostile world, as a by-product it provided them with an awareness of the
1 Before the present.
R. Barrett and P. P. Delsanto
to the other family members, the original fallen tree, like the sun, the moon
and the river, had always been there.
Golding provides us here with a glimpse of the possible origins of rational
thought. Is this how it began, with the sharing of experiences and memories?
Did intelligence evolve from this exchange of mental images?
Archaeological research and findings from the Human Genome Project
suggest that modern cognition and behaviour had developed in sub-Saharan
Africa by at least 50,000 BP. 1 The last glacial period, or Ice Age, extended
from 110,000 to 12,000 years ago. During this period, the environment
changed markedly, with the sea level falling and rising by many metres. The
changing environmental conditions during this period may have provided
an evolutionary advantage to those primates with a higher intelligence, and
influenced the evolution of modern humans [2]. The spread of Homo sapiens
from Africa to other continents appears to have occurred in several waves
during this period, and to have been facilitated by low sea levels arising from
large masses of water being tied up in glaciers. Genetic evidence suggests that
the first exodus occurred about 70,000 years ago, and followed the coastline
of Asia to Australia, which was reached at least 50,000 years ago. Subsequent
migrations led to the populations of Central Asia, Europe and the Americas
[3, 4].
Today intelligence appears to be dependent on a multiplicity of genes, as
well as the environment, so it is likely that it is a characteristic that evolved
over time, rather than from a single spontaneous genetic mutation [5].
Before discussing intelligence, we need to be clear what exactly we are
talking about. Howard Gardner in his 1983 book, Frames of Mind: The
Theory of Multiple Intelligences, lists nine different types of intelligence [6].
Some of these involve musical ability and hand–eye coordination, which
some might regard as aptitudes, rather than intelligence. In our book we are
interested primarily in Gardner’s category: Logical-Mathematical Intelligence,
which deals with logic, abstractions, reasoning, numbers and critical thinking.
As intelligence evolved, humans (or Homo sapiens, as Homo Neanderthalensis had by now either lost their identity by interbreeding with their
newly arrived cousins, or become extinct) turned their skills to survival. They
learned how better to protect themselves and their families from the elements
and wild beasts, and how to gather enough food on an almost regular basis.
A higher level of intelligence improved their chances of survival.
If intelligence offered humanity an increased prospect of survival in a
hostile world, as a by-product it provided them with an awareness of the
1 Before the present.