Evolution of AbstractionSushrut 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.

Includes : Categorisation -> Induction, Symbolic Representation.

What is required for Abstraction?

Memory.

Innate Abstractions - Primitives.

• Accumulated throughout evolution.

Ability to compare.

Are humans special?

Animals can abstract, categorise.

• 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.

• 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 visualised 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 Neandertals 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. Mutations in the gene cause severe speech impairment.

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)

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