Ever wonder how our brains have evolved in the age of Facebook, Twitter and hundreds of "friends"?

      A team of researchers has found a link between the size of our amygdala, the epicenter of our emotions, and the size and complexity of our social networks. The bigger the amygdala, the bigger and more complex the network.

      In a study published yesterday in Nature, doctors from Boston University and Harvard University measured the social networks of 58 adults based on two factors: the number of people they were in regular contact with (size), and the number of social groups these contacts could be divided into (complexity). They also measured the volume of the participants' amygdalas and hippocampus, as a control.

      Even after accounting for social factors like life satisfaction and perceived social support, they found a linear regression between the size/complexity of social networks and the size of the amygdala.

      Although the study doesn't determine causation, like whether a bigger amygdala leads to a bigger social network and vice versa, the research does suggest an evolutionary aspect to the size of our amygdalas as socializing becomes more complex.

      "To get along while getting ahead, it is necessary to learn who is who, who is friend and who is foe. It might be productive to form an alliance with certain group members in one context, but to outmaneuver them in another," the researchers wrote.

      The results of the study will help scientists better understand how our brains determine behavior and emotions. Scientists have also been researching a woman with no amygdala, who apparently feels no fear.

Source from PCMag