Evolution of Brain Size in Carnivores and Ungulates

The wide range of EQs seen among modern carnivores and ungulates suggests that caution should be used in attributing significance to differences in mean EQs of small fossil faunal samples, and elucidation of the biological significance of differences in relative brain size remains an outstanding problem.

Abstract

The available data on relative brain size in fossil carnivores and ungulates provide no evidence for relatively larger brains in carnivores than in ungulates. Relative brain size of archaic ungulates was similar to that of modern basal insectivores and lower than that of contemporary ancestors of modern ungulates. Later archaic carnivores had brains similar in relative size to those of contemporary modern carnivore ancestors. The wide range of EQs seen among modern carnivores and ungulates suggests that caution should be used in attributing significance to differences in mean EQs of small fossil faunal samples. Elucidation of the biological significance of differences in relative brain size remains an outstanding problem.