A new study from University College London disputes the idea that human newborns are less developed than other primate species.

The study involved the analysis of brain development in 140 mammal species, including modern primates and early human fossils.

Findings indicate that human brains are similarly developed to other primates at birth, but grow larger and more complex afterwards.

This post-birth growth gives the mistaken impression that human newborns are underdeveloped.

Human brains take longer to reach full capacity not because they are born less developed, but because they grow more later in life.

The research underscores the role of brain plasticity in human evolution, but refutes the idea that enhanced plasticity results from being born less developed.

The study was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.