Do humans really have a ‘lizard brain’ lurking beneath our rational minds?
It’s a powerful analogy that captured the popular imagination, but the biological reality is quite different
TL;DR
- The triune brain model, suggesting distinct lizard, mammalian, and neomammalian brain layers, is a popular but scientifically discredited concept.
- Neurobiologists argue that evolution does not bolt on neat, divisible mental capacities in this manner.
- Evidence shows reptiles possess limbic systems and mammals exhibit 'neomammalian' features, challenging the model's strict divisions.
- Current research views the brain as a dynamic, integrated system focused on survival and energy prediction, not a battleground of three distinct brains.
- The triune brain model endures due to its appealing narrative of human exceptionalism and its simplicity, despite being factually inaccurate.