2007-06-28 02:42:10 · 16 answers · asked by Seal_over 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
If I interpret your question right, you are asking because you have hear or read somewhere that one of the reason for the long gestation period in humans is the development of the large brain. But as many responders have shown, intelligence and gestation period are not correlated whereas body size and length of pregnancy are. Elephants are quite large at birth and thus require time to grow to the appropriate size. However, body volume alone is not all.
The species with the longest gestation period is actually not the elephant, but the spiny dogfish, which takes 24 months to give birth to fully functional pups. (No, it's not the elephant... sorry...) These elasmobranch fish are actually bottom dwelling sharks that populate the north Atlantic and live quite long. They reach sexual maturity at around 35 years of age (!). While embryonic size relative to maternal size is quite big, this alone cannot be reason for the lengthy embryogenesis either, since their are numerous viviparous fishes where this ratio is even bigger.
What then determines the evolution of long pregnancies? Well, one aspect is certainly that the longer the pregnancy, the more "complete" and ready to go the offspring are born. This is advantageous, since it means these youngsters can avoid predation or other risks more successfully. In case of the spiny dogfish the fact that its overall development is rather slow, probably as a function of food availability and other environmental factors, might explain the long embryonic development. If resources are less abundant, growth takes longer, and so does embryonic growth.
Now, in humans the whole thing is actually more complicated because of our bipidelism, or upright walk. One of the major anatomic modifications for upright walk in humans is the shape of the pelvis. In order for our legs to move appropriately for controlled falling, the pelvis had to rotate to accommodate a shift of the center of gravity during walking. As a result the birth canal became smaller and our gestation period had to be shortened. If human embryos were not born earlier, "before term" if you like, they would be too big to pass the brith canal.
As a foot note, recent research shows that elephants have indeed evolved mirror-image self-recognition, which suggests self-awareness and possibly self-consciousness. However, that has nothing to do with the gestation period...
2007-06-28 06:22:46 · answer #1 · answered by oputz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, there is a lot more mass on a baby elephant than a baby human. Not to take away from the intelligence of elephants.
2007-06-28 02:49:35 · answer #2 · answered by outlaw_tattoo_biker 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Smarts has nothing to do with it... the longer gestation has to do with the fact that the elephant needs more time to develop and grow.
Asian Elephants can top out around 250lbs at birth, African Elephants can top out around 330lbs at birth.
2007-06-28 04:39:44 · answer #3 · answered by The Cheshire 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Elephants are huge, lumbering and as a result have a very slow metabolism. I think gestation periods are related to metabolism (other animals like manatess also have up to 14-month gestation, and very low metabolism). Whereas rodents tend to be small, high metabolism, and breed like crazy.
Nothing to do with intelligence...
2007-06-28 04:09:16 · answer #4 · answered by dunefangirl 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
mikem, that does not have to do with a higher intelligence level necesarily. Many birds did too, and you wouldn't classify tropical birds as more intelligent then humans, would you? Animals know when a natural disaster is about to occur. And no Ellephants are not more intelligent than humans.
2007-06-28 03:29:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Elephants in Thailand knew that the tsunami was coming way before humans did.
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=40255
2007-06-28 02:46:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, elephants are a lot smarter than we think,as they are
ready to learn from a small bi-pod creature like us, then they
are ready to serve us and work for us(small creatures), but WE,
BIG HUMANS do not learn from them,do not serve them,the
more, WE KILLED ALMOST ALL OF THEM!! "How smart!"
2007-06-28 03:03:18 · answer #7 · answered by yamahabela 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not really, we all function different, human are smarter and elephants are bigger so it takes more time to develope.
2007-06-28 03:49:52 · answer #8 · answered by Bryan 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The intelligence of an animal has nothing to do with its gestation period. The size of the animal is what determines how long it is pregnant.
2007-06-28 09:00:39 · answer #9 · answered by monkeyface 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i thought it was something to do with them being more developed, IE. being able to walk quickly, so they could avoid predators. I think for human babies to be that developed you would have to give birth to a toddler
2007-06-28 02:51:31 · answer #10 · answered by Ruthie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋