On the emergence of modern humans.
The emergence of modern humans with their extraordinary cognitive capacities is ascribed to a novel type of cognitive computational process (sustained non-routine multi-level operations) required for abstract projectuality, held to be the common denominator of the cognitive capacities specific to modern humans. A brain operation (latching) that allows this novel computational process is proposed as well as a physics-inspired mechanism that could explain its rather recent emergence without invoking unlikely genetic or structural changes.
Amati
Daniele
D
International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy. amati@sissa.it
Shallice
Tim
T
D000818:Animals; D000886:Anthropometry; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015186:Hominidae; D006801:Humans; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*