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Complex brains allow functioning in a complex environment by using information

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2025

Cameron Rouse Turner Open the ORCID record for Cameron Rouse Turner [Opens in a new window] ,
Thomas J.H. Morgan Open the ORCID record for Thomas J.H. Morgan [Opens in a new window]  and
Thomas L. Griffiths Open the ORCID record for Thomas L. Griffiths [Opens in a new window]
Cameron Rouse Turner*
Affiliation:
Computational Cognitive Science Lab, Department of Psychology and Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA c.rouse.turner@princeton.edu tomg@princeton.edu
Thomas J.H. Morgan
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA thomas.j.h.morgan@asu.edu
Thomas L. Griffiths
Affiliation:
Computational Cognitive Science Lab, Department of Psychology and Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA c.rouse.turner@princeton.edu tomg@princeton.edu
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Collating the neural traits possessed by taxa provides valuable evidence about brain evolution. However, to get the full scientific benefit, we must pair it with an understanding of the selection pressures driving brain complexity. This can be achieved by considering the heterogeneity of the animal’s environment alongside the reliability of information. A complex environment selects for a complex brain.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e96
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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