Evolutionary Psychologists Look for Roots of Cognition

Results implying deep evolutionary roots for the mental mechanisms behind numeracy—the ability to assess bulk or amount—and the tendency to discount future rewards in favor of present ones are discussed.

Abstract

London—The effort to put human mental activity under the evolutionary spotlight is triggering a remarkable burst of collaboration between biologists and psychologists. Thirty of them recently gathered at a workshop here to discuss recent findings. Among them are results implying deep evolutionary roots for the mental mechanisms behind numeracy—the ability to assess bulk or amount—and the tendency to discount future rewards in favor of present ones.