Download Evolution of Abstraction

Evolution of Abstraction
Sushrut Thorat | Manasvita Vashisth
What is Abstraction?
Abstraction is the process of taking away or
removing characteristics from something to reduce
it to some set of essential characteristics.
By pure definition, bees and ants can also abstract but there is
a major difference in the level of abstraction of humans and
other species. There is a gradual up-gradation depending on
social structure, and brain size..
Includes : Categorization -> Induction, Symbolic
Representation.
What is required for Abstraction?
Memory.
Innate Abstractions - Primitives.
•
Accumulated throughout evolution.
Ability to compare.
Are humans special?
Animals can abstract, categorize.
•
Herrnstein's pigeons can differentiate between
trees; between automobiles and chairs; between
Monets and Picassos.
We can learn primitives through abstraction. Just
that general representations aren't all on a par.
•
e.g.: WHITE vs PROTON
Neuroscience of Abstraction
Abstract and Concrete concepts are processed by
distinct brain regions.
•
Abstract concepts (arithmetic) -> Verbal system
•
Concrete concepts (red) -> Perceptual system
Perceptual systems involve mental imagery, so
concrete concepts are easily visualized than abstract
ones.
Abstraction involves building over the primitives present in
these two regions.
Similar brain functions in other
animals
Chimpanzees learn the integer list by brute force,
while human children learn by making an induction
from a limited body of evidence (by using set
theoretical methods).
They both use: approximate cardinal values of large
sets, and exact number of object arrays for small
quantities.
But humans use both of them in parallel. This
allows us to have a 'sense' of large numbers - of
what they mean.
Common brain regions responsible
for abstraction
Left inferior frontal, superior temporal, and middle
temporal cortices were consistently more active for
abstract than for concrete concepts in humans.
Similar brain structure -> Good reason to believe
that it is same with other animals.
Human Brain
Human Brain
Brain comparison
Evolution of those regions
Increasing complexity
throughout evolution. Primary
structure conserved.
Extensive differentiation of
different areas.
Extensive networking in the
primate brain, leading to a lot
of varied functions involving
different brain regions.
(integrated information)
Evolutionary advantage of abstraction
All animals have untapped powers of abstraction as seen
through many experiments.
Abstraction helps us find insightful solutions, as generality can
be extended into specifics which weren't a part of its creation
(Induction).
The parallel computing in the human brain is unparalleled by
any other animal. Dealing with varied properties at the same
time gains us tremendous insight.
And then there is 'language'. The semantic content of human
language is much more diverse than any other animal's
language. This aids us in abstraction.
Evolutionary tree of Hominoidea
Homo is the genus of hominids that includes
modern humans and species closely related to
them. The advent of Homo was thought to coincide
with the first evidence of stone tools and fire.
Homo habilis-Proto language
Homo erectus-Symbolic Communication
Natural Selection of Homo Sapiens
By 100,000 years ago, several species of hominids
populated the Earth. H. sapiens lived in Africa, H.
erectus in Southeast Asia and China, and Neanderthals
in Europe. Around 50,000 years ago, there was a
sudden explosion of human migration out of Africa, and
by about 30,000 years ago, we were the last ones
standing.
What propelled modern humans out of Africa, and what
gave us the edge over other species?
At what point in time did the immense difference in
abstraction abilities of humans from other species even
its closest relatives-Chimpanzees?
Evolution of Abstraction:
A giant leap forward or a gradual evolution?
Presently there are two hypothesis that have been
propounded- Giant leap forward or Continuity
hypothesis
However coming to the conclusion of which is the
actual theory is difficult because significant
innovations are manifested after the cognitive and
social capacities to innovate have already evolved.
Humans have had the capacity for space travel, or
designing computers, for several thousand years—
nothing about us has really changed
Great Leap forward or Upper
Paleolithic Revolution
It is the less widely accepted theory which holds that
humans underwent a dramatic genetic change in brain
function—perhaps increased memory or improved
language skills—around 50,000 years ago which gave
them an enhanced ability to innovate and enabled the
exodus from Africa.
foxp2 gene is required for proper development of
speech and language regions of the brain during
embryogenesis, and may be involved in a variety of
biological pathways and cascades that may ultimately
influence language development.
Continuity Hypothesis
Homo sapiens emerged with the abilities needed to be
modern, and it simply took 70,000 years to hone the
technological and social skills needed before they could
successfully venture out and populate the rest of the
world
Evidence in Africa of fishing with bone points, advanced
weaponry, and the ability to continue to innovate
indicates that modern cognitive abilities developed
early. Smaller, lighter weapons that could be propelled
to hunt mammoths
Analogy of industrial revolution
References
Wikipedia contributors. "Abstraction." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Web. 4
Apr, 2014.
Demetris Portides. "A Theory of Scientific Model Construction: The Conceptual
Process of Abstraction and Concretisation." Foundations of Science, March 2005,
Volume 10, Issue 1, pp 67-88.
Laurence S., Margolis E. "Abstraction and the origin of general ideas."
Philosophers' Imprint, Volume 12, No.19. December, 2012.
Wang J., Conder J. "Neural Representation of Abstract and Concrete Concepts: A
Meta-Analysis of Neuroimaging Studies." Human Brain Mapping, 31: 1459–1468
(2010).
Hauser M., Spelke E. "Evolutionary and developmental foundations of human
knowledge." The Cognitive Neurosciences, III (Ed. M. Gazzaniga), Cambridge,
MIT Press (2004)
Thank you