This article caught my attention
In particular, the GRIN2B/GRIN2A ratio is positively associated with the intensity of long-term potentiation, long-term depression, dendritic spine density, and learning proficiency
GRIN2B/GRIN2A ratio differences observed between two species with similar brain size and different creative problem solving abilities.
In it it links increased neuroplasticity in a region similar to the prefrontal cortex of finches, I think, with differences between creative ability in different species.
There is also this nice quote from the following book
This discovery provides evidence that FoxP2 functions as a “plasticity gate”; ... of gene expression fits well with prior work in creativity research... p220 Animal Creativity and Innovation
It is known that neuroplasticity is an important part of what are known as critical windows in human children and other species. Particularly of interest is that iirc humans retain high neuroplasticity for longer than other primates.
Of course creating and breaking many neural connections, plasticity, should be energetically expensive. I've heard brain energy consumption peaks in childhood. But a child can learn many languages and skills with extreme ease.
the ratios of brain glucose uptake to the body’s resting metabolic rate (RMR) and daily energy requirements (DER) expressed in glucose-gram equivalents (glucosermr% and glucoseder%). We find that glucosermr% and glucoseder% do not peak at birth (52.5% and 59.8% of RMR, or 35.4% and 38.7% of DER, for males and females, respectively), when relative brain size is largest, but rather in childhood (66.3% and 65.0% of RMR and 43.3% and 43.8% of DER).
It is also known that the probability of significant innovation from scientists peaks quite rapidly and falls in later years, iirc.
The thing is within brain tissue information is intelligently organized by the algorithms involved, with similar concepts near each other, iirc.
Creating a connection to a nearby area is basically intelligently exploring the solution space which can be evaluated by the rest of the body of knowledge to see if it is a meaningful or meaningless connection. This way as multiple connections are created and evaluated, multiple concepts can be evaluated and co-evolve helping to create a deeper understanding and increase the possibility of innovation.
