I know people don't want to admit to genetic impacts on cognition but there have been pressures over many generations for these traits and those pressures have been different all over the world.
Take the example of a genetic lineage living in a jungle where it is necessary to know the difference, availability, dietary qualities, medicinal aspects of thousands of plants. Not to mention predatory dangers, snake dangers, environmental dangers, etc.
In this case, the individual with high aptitudes for memorization, categorization and pattern matching would survive at a substantially higher rate than those with lower aptitudes. Remember, a small band does not have the resources to support low producing members so they would not be artificially perpetuated.
Take the example of a genetic lineage living in a jungle where it is necessary to know the difference, availability, dietary qualities, medicinal aspects of thousands of plants. Not to mention predatory dangers, snake dangers, environmental dangers, etc.
In this case, the individual with high aptitudes for memorization, categorization and pattern matching would survive at a substantially higher rate than those with lower aptitudes. Remember, a small band does not have the resources to support low producing members so they would not be artificially perpetuated.