From the quiet roads of New Hampshire, where snapping turtles are more common than lizards, to the depths of our evolutionary past, we’ll grapple with the idea that we may still carry a piece of our reptilian ancestors within us. But don’t be too quick to believe popular pop-psychology. We’ll explore what the Triune Brain model tells us about our so-called “reptilian brain” and how it shapes our instinctual responses. We’ll question if there’s a lurking Allosaurus within our minds or if it’s just an oversimplification of a complex organ.
Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.
Works Cited
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Berman, Robby. “Your Three Brains.” Big Think, Apr. 2022, bigthink.com/neuropsych/triune-brain.
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NBC News. “Your Lizard Brain Is Holding You Back. Here’s How to Overcome It. | Better | NBC News.” YouTube, 9 Jan. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRfj5veBwIw.
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SoP. “The Triune Brain – the Science of Psychotherapy.” The Science of Psychotherapy, 5 Apr. 2021, www.thescienceofpsychotherapy.com/the-triune-brain.
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Steffen, Patrick R., et al. “The Brain Is Adaptive Not Triune: How the Brain Responds to Threat, Challenge, and Change.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 13, Frontiers Media, Apr. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.802606.
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“A Theory Abandoned but Still Compelling.” Yale School of Medicine, Sept. 2008, medicine.yale.edu/news/yale-medicine-magazine/article/a-theory-abandoned-but-still-compelling.
Music in this Episode
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Frogs by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
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Go Little Car by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
- Twinkle Toes by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
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