Brain size does matter when it comes to self-control among animals

In a large-scale collaborative effort, scientists used two problem-solving tasks to investigate the evolution of self-control among animals. The study involved 36 species of mammals and birds. The scientists found that the species with the largest absolute brain volume showed superior cognitive powers. They concluded that big-brained animals, for example, chimpanzees, show more self-control than, say, gerbils. The study also showed that animals with the most varied diets displayed the most self-restraint. Read more in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

EL MacLean et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1323533111