Bigger the Brain, Longer the Life, Study Finds!!!

New research links having a larger brain to living a longer life.

Researchers from the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications in Barcelona studied nearly 500 species of mammals in order to better understand the connection between brain size, body size and longevity.

Results showed the mammals with large brains in relationship to their body tended to have longer reproductive cycles and lifespans, though their brain development took longer as well.

The team was interested in the Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis, which proposes that larger brains help certain mammals adapt to changes in surroundings and make learning easier for them, which in turn allows them to survive and live longer lives.

The study, published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, reports that though larger mammals are known to live longer lives, the researches found that the size of the brain affects lifespan regardless of mammal's body size. For example, they note that though hyenas are smaller than giraffes, they have a larger brain in proportion to their body size and do live longer.

Large brains use much more energy than smaller brains because they take longer to reach full functional and sexual development, but the researchers found nature favored these large brains as the mammals' longevity also provides them with more chances to reproduce.

Other factors that could have contributed to long lifespans, such as metabolism, diet and habitats, were taken into account, but the study authors report no change in the results. The only variable that did alter data was whether or not a mammal lived in captivity or in the wild, with captive animals more likely to live longer.

As for the human brain, Thomas says that, in general, the male brain is larger than the female brain, with the exception of certain regions such as the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. He adds that these size variations don't seem to tell us much about our lives to come.

Researchers emphasize however that though their findings are significant, a large brain and longevity isn't necessarily a cause and effect relationship.

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