Skull size and iq?

[optimal123]

If someone has a bigger skull they then have the potential to have a bigger brain and i would like to know how important this is for genius iq. I saw a video on youtube about this guy called Christopher Langan who claims to have the highest iq in America, he also mentions he has a very large head (6 standard deviations above normal) and speculates this could be related to his high iq. It made me wonder is it required to have a large head size to be a genius or is the way the brain wired more important? Are there any examples of famous genius and their head / brain sizes?

[Willie71]

IQ and cranial volume are not generally related, although comparing at a species level, cranial volume might predict inteligence to a certain extent. This fell apart when it was found that crows and parrots are quite intelligent, more so than many mammals. Even crocodilians and monitor lixards have been shown to be much more intelligent than suspected even 10 years ago.

 

In humans, there is no relation between volume and intelligence unless you look at outliers such as hydrocephalus. We need to assume that the brain is physiologically intact first, and go from there.

 

http://www.livescience.com/32142-are-big-brains-smarter.html

 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-brain-size-doesnt-correlate-with-intelligence-180947627/?no-ist

[optimal123]

IQ and cranial volume are not generally related, although comparing at a species level, cranial volume might predict inteligence to a certain extent. This fell apart when it was found that crows and parrots are quite intelligent, more so than many mammals. Even crocodilians and monitor lixards have been shown to be much more intelligent than suspected even 10 years ago.

 

In humans, there is no relation between volume and intelligence unless you look at outliers such as hydrocephalus. We need to assume that the brain is physiologically intact first, and go from there.

 

http://www.livescience.com/32142-are-big-brains-smarter.html

 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-brain-size-doesnt-correlate-with-intelligence-180947627/?no-ist

Thanks very much for the reply. So if I understand correctly what makes someone have a higher iq is more the structure of the brain than the size? That makes sense but on the other hand wouldnt a bigger brain contain more neurons? Is that important for increasing iq? I also read on wiki there is a moderate correlation between size and intelligence.

 

I tried to find imformation about the brain sizes of famous geniuses. Einstein had a smaller than avearge brain but a different structure. Gauss had an average sized brain. I couldn't find much about others.

 

I don't know a lot about neauroscience or how the brain works at all so please pardon my ignorance.

[CharonY]

Actually, I faintly recall that there was a weak correlation between brain size and IQ, but that skull size was not a very good measure of brain size. The overall variations are not huge in any case (as at some point the deformities would be detrimental).

I also think that Einsteins's brain size was within the normal range. Of course these studies are limited as age of death would have a large influence on structure of the brain. In any case the mechanistic link between size and IQ (should it exist) is still not known and one has to be careful to make any inferences.

[John Cuthber]

If IQ mattered, then it would matter how well it correlates with things like skull size.

[Willie71]

I have read a few conflicting reports on this topic, and would have to agree that one could cite a paper that says there is a correlation, and some say its not significant.

 

If one uses an analogy to athleticism, what makes a good athelete? Is a marathon runner a better athelete than a power lifter? Intelligence is much the same. There are few people who are "gifted" across all currently measured domains of intelligence, and usually there is a trade off. Using Einstein as an example, he was a visual spatial learner, likely had ADHD, and may have had asperger's disorder. He could not remember his address, but he could connect the dots better than almost anyone. Different domains of intelligence depend on a combination of genetic predisposition, an environment that nourishes and supports, and doesn't damage, and a learning curve that enriches, rather than stifles.

 

As a therapist, I can remember the life story of every client I have ever worked with, over 2000 families/people. I must have a good memory right? I can't remember my wife's cell phone number, what the date is, or the names of most of my clients. Depending on the type of memory you measure, I will either be gifted, or retarded. Some people are specialists, and others are generalists, and rarely there are people who are brilliant in most areas, and others who will never learn to brush their teeth.

 

Part of the problem is how we measure intelligence. Most testing is language based, at least in the instructions. Watch this video to see if there is another way to do things (there is.)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2VLje8QRrwg

Edited November 3, 2014 by Willie71

[Joshua201]

There's really no correlation between cranial size and IQ. Also a large cranial cavity doesn't necessarily translate to a larger brain.