Cold temperatures may be the reason for whales and dolphins’ large brains, not intelligence. A new study finds that cetaceans have special adaptations for heat generation in their brains, possibly enlarging them in the process. These adaptations focus on uncoupling proteins, which are inefficient at producing energy but are fantastic at creating heat. Cetacean brains seem to have enlarged when ocean temperatures dropped globally millions of years ago, supporting this hypothesis. Read full article here
