Searching for the Origins of Our Cognitive Abilities

For several decades, anthropologists and other experts have been debating about the origins of the cognitive abilities that placed our species in a dominant position on the planet. Many scholars cite the famous Lascaux cave paintings as being among the first signs of higher brain powers, whereas others contest the claim that the French paintings represent the first leap in human cognition. Yet another group believes that the origin of our minds lies in South Africa, where new digs continue to unearth objects that hint at higher intelligence predating the Lascaux artifacts, PhysOrg reports.

Shells, ochre and tools found at this site on the country's coast are nowadays cited by scholars more often than the famous cave scribblings. Famous Arizona State University (ASU) professor and paleoanthropologist Curtis Marean, based at the Institute of Human Origins, believes that the site housed the small population of Homo sapiens, the species that eventually gave birth to all of us. The expert is very well informed in this field, drawing on the work of geologists, plant biologists, geneticists, nutritionists, and other specialists for his conclusions.

He has also been awarded the principal investigator status in a US National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded expedition to conduct excavations at the South African site. The scientist says that evidence uncovered here would seem to suggest that, as early humans migrated along African coasts, their cognitive abilities also experienced a significant boost in strength. The idea is based on data experts collected of the diet these ancestors had, as kept in the fossil record.

Several types of tuberous plants, known for being high in carbohydrates, were found at the location. “You couple that with shellfish, and you've got a really nice nutritional package going on. Is it the reason we evolved, just because we had access to this nutrient? Probably not. But the ability to have that available to you and raise kids who are getting complete brain food – there's no way that could have hurt,” says senior Logan Bartram, from the University of Vermont, the author of the thesis paper called “Evidence for Modern Human Behavioral Origins on the Southern African Coast.”