The Evolutionary Road to Human Memory

On a trip down memory lane, four neuroscientists present an entertaining and accessible account of how evolution produced human memory, beginning with early vertebrates. The authors discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by a series of our direct ancestors, illustrate how the brains of these animals changed, and explain how these changes came to support new forms of memory. The book reveals how evolution fashioned the many forms of memory present in the human brain, why we can apply our knowledge flexibly in novel situations, and why we, uniquely among species, can remember and reflect upon the stories of our lives.