Scientists from the University of Leicester believe that they may have discovered the 'cornerstone of human intelligence' that makes humans the smartest species in the entire animal kingdom.
They believe it is all about how humans store memories in their brains that differentiate them from animals. Past studies suggest that animals use pattern separation, which is a technique that stores memories in separate groups of neurons in the hippocampus that stops it from getting mixed up.
However, a new study suggests that the same group of neurons in the hippocampus store all memories of humans, which makes their intellect on a higher level than animals, MailOnline reported.
Cornerstone in Human Intelligence
Fifteen years of study by scientists from the University of Leicester had finally borne fruit when they discovered the cornerstone in human intelligence, making humans the most clever of all species. Professor Rodrigo Quiroga, the Director of Systems Neuroscience in Leicester, believes that unlike the pattern separation in most animals, the opposite is true to the human hippocampus.
He argues that the same neurons in humans store memories, unlike animals that store memories in different neurons. The difference between the process of how two species store memories could imply "neuronal representation, devoid of specific contextual details, and it explains the abstract thinking that characterizes human intelligence," Science Daily reported.
"In contrast to what everybody expects, when recording the activity of individual neurons, we have found that there is an alternative model to pattern separation storing our memories," Professor Quiroga said.
The existence of pattern separation, the basic principle of neuronal coding before the memory is stored in the hippocampus, is backed by numerous theoretical, computational, and experimental findings in various animals. However, it was never successfully replicated on humans.
Furthermore, previous studies conducted using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) cannot record the individual neuron's activity. But when the researchers directly recorded the individual neuron's activity, they found something that is different from the pattern separation in animals, calling it the cornerstone of human intelligence.
No Separation Pattern in the Human Hippocampus
The study argued that there is a lack of pattern separation in memory coding in humans, which is a vital difference between humans and animals. The researchers said that this means the cognitive abilities are affected, making them the smartest species in the animal kingdom.
"There is a more than 50% brain size variability in people with comparable intelligence, and other animals have brains comparable to and even larger than that of humans," Professor Quiroga said.
The researchers concluded that what separates humans from animals is the neuronal coding principle that underlies the human brain functions rather than the number of neurons or specific anatomical differences in the brain.
Professor Quiroga added that humans' thoughts much rely on memories. Without it, humans cannot function as to how they function now. Therefore it has a significant impact on the cognitive ability of a species.
Check out more news and information on Memory in Science Times.
