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Brain Evolution: From Precognitive to Consciousness
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It’s time to explore eight key ideas and takeaways.
First, a reminder about the philosophy of journalism.
Journalism is strongest when it resists the urge to simplify complex realities into moral certainty.
1. Our first story.
From History: 307 million years ago
Subject: Herbivores.
2026 Discovery Pushing Back Herbivores
By 307 million years ago, land herbivory had already begun in early reptiles known as microsaurs.
From another angle.
Once vertebrates evolved the amniotic egg and dry-land independence, new body sizes and digestive strategies became possible. The Tyrannoroter heberti from about 307 million years ago was among the first land herbivores.
That Animals Story,
was first published on TST 2 months ago.
2. Now for our second story.
From History: ~3.72 Billion Years Ago (after prokaryotes)
Subject: Evolution.
- Touch evolved long before brains..
Mechanical sensitivity to pressure and membrane stretch
About 3.72 billion years ago, right after LUCA, when cells emerged, touch became the most ancient form of biological sensing: required to physically navigate reality.
Looked at differently.
By 3.72 billion years ago, before vision, before smell, before hearing — life learned to feel force. Plants, fungi, and animals all inherited this ancient cellular technology. In animals it became advanced and neural, but its roots lie in the physics of membranes and pressure itself.
That Animals Story,
was first published on TST 2 years ago.
Finally, 4 frequently asked “questions.”
3. Tidbit number three, a quote.
Subject: Blood.
- Blood has been evolving for over 500 million years....
- ...and every drop in your veins carries that history..
Blood evolved gradually over billions of years; oxygen-carrying hemoglobin later transformed complex life.
Now, to be clear.
Blood evolved as a vital fluid for transporting nutrients and oxygen, starting around 1.2 billion years ago. The real breakthrough came 500 million years ago with hemoglobin, enabling efficient oxygen transport. This evolution allowed life to grow more complex, leading to the diverse organisms we see today.
That Animals FAQ,
was first published on TST 2 years ago.
4. Tidbit number four, another quote.
Subject: Primate Hair or Fur.
All great apes share the same general hair-follicle pattern and follicle count—a primate pattern that likely goes back over 50 million years.
Now to clarify.
“Fur” and “hair” are not biologically distinct in primates; all great apes have hair made of the same material. What changes over evolution is not the follicle pattern, but hair thickness and density. That ancient pattern long predates humans. Our sparse, human-like appearance represents an extreme shift in hair behavior—likely tied to sweating, endurance movement, and changing lifestyles.
That Animals FAQ,
was first published on TST 1 year ago.
“Done.”
Tidbits make it possible to build slowly and honestly, without losing track of where an idea came from.
Rather than publishing for immediacy, the TouchstoneTruth project releases one edition per week of the TST Weekly Column while allowing ideas to mature long before and long after publication.
Refresh for another set.
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(c) 2025-2026 TouchstoneTruth.
Writing and coding by Michael Alan Prestwood.
(c) 2025-2026 TouchstoneTruth.
Writing and coding by Michael Alan Prestwood.
