Why Are Primates So Smart?
Behavioral complexity is the hallmark of the primate order, and this has been attributed in part to the relatively large brains all primates possess. Defining intelligence, however, is a highly problematic issue. An operational definition used here attributes the primary component of intelligence to flexible problem solving and the ability to cope with novel situations. Arriving at a consensus for the driving factors favoring intelligence in primates is even more difficult. Many theoretical positions have been advanced as possible selective mechanisms for the trends toward increased intelligence in primate evolution, a few of which are highlighted later in this summary. Some hypotheses emphasize complex foraging strategies and ecological pressures as the primary forces driving an evolutionary increase in cognitive abilities, and others suggest that increased social complexity favored the evolution of primate intelligence.
