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gwern comments on How inevitable was modern human civilization - data - Less Wrong
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The "tool use" theory of the origin of intelligence is widely discredited.
Neanderthal man was bigger than us, and had bigger brains. Extinction is too common to mean very much. Most species trend larger - until they get reset by meteorite strikes. I'm not aware of any partiularly noteworthy growth of primates. Our ancestors have mostly grown, if that's what you mean.
CronoDAS brought up the tools, not I; but I would still like to see some references about it being 'widely discredited'. Tool use seems like one of the most significant aspects of intelligence to me...
Mosst animals make very little use of tools. The (highly brainy) Cetaceans don't seem to use them at all.
More important theories inculude the social brain hypothesis - and sexual selection.
Dolphins have been confirmed as tool-users. For example they are known to use sticks and kelp in mating displays and games.
Cool. An example:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0607_050607_dolphin_tools.html