One of the greatest enigmas of human evolution is why we have such a large brain. We are very different from other animals, including our primate relatives. How and why did we end up with a brain so large in relation to our body size? If a hypothetical extraterrestrial scientist were to look at photos of all primates, there would be one that would stand out for two obvious reasons: first, it goes naked, without fur; second, it is very big-headed, in proportion to the size of its body. According to the encephalization quotient, which relates brain weight to the weight of an entire species' body, we are the winners. We have an index of 7.4, closely followed by dolphins with 5.3, and our closest primate relative, the chimpanzee, is far behind with 2.5, that is, three times less than humans. It is known that the difference in size is related to intelligence, making us the most intelligent animal on the planet. However, it is important to explain how and why we came to have such a bra
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