Compare the Brains
LB1 and microcephalic Homo sapiens
Was LB1 perhaps a modern human with a pathologically small brain,
one deformed by illness or genetic defect? No, say Falk and her
colleagues. LB1's endocast indicates her brain fit snugly in her
skull, and parts of her brain are highly convoluted, or intricately
folded. By contrast, microcephalic brains rest loosely within the
braincase and create endocasts that lack detail, like the one seen
here. (Some experts, including Robert Martin of Chicago's Field
Museum, say the team's sample size of one microcephalic skull was
too small, and they still hold with the modern microcephalic
hypothesis.)