Across the animal kingdom, we see remarkable variation in brain size. This variation has
even increased over evolutionary time. Traditionally, studies aiming to explain brain size …

This chapter reviews the ecological conditions that favor the evolution of plasticity, and the
costs and limits that constrain the evolution of plasticity. Variable environments tend to select …

Comparative analyses are the backbone of evolutionary analysis. However, their record in
producing a consensus has not always been good. This is especially true of attempts to …

Brain sizes vary substantially across vertebrate taxa, yet, the evolution of brain size appears
tightly linked to the evolution of life histories. For example, larger brained species generally …

The challenges of seasonal environments are thought to contribute to brain evolution, but in
which way is debated. According to the Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis (CBH) brain size should …

The evolution of sperm quality and quantity is shaped by various selective processes, with
sperm competition generally considered the primary selective agent. Particularly in external …

A large brain can offer several cognitive advantages. However, brain tissue has an
especially high metabolic rate. Thus, evolving an enlarged brain requires either a decrease …

Amniotes differ substantially in absolute and relative brain size after controlling for allometry,
and numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain brain size evolution. Brain size is …

The relationship between brain size and ageing is a paradox. The cognitive benefits of large
brains should protect from extrinsic mortality and thus indirectly select for slower ageing …

Simple Summary Life-history theory includes that trade-offs between reproduction and
survival are critical for organisms to adapt to different environments. Therefore …