[theptip]

I mean… the quote from TFA that they are arguing against is

> As Paul MacLean (1964), originator of the triune-brain theory, stated,

>> man, it appears, has inherited essentially three brains. Frugal Nature in developing her paragon threw nothing away. The oldest of his brains is basically reptilian; the second has been inherited from lower mammals; and the third and newest brain is a late mammalian development which reaches a pinnacle in man and gives him his unique power of symbolic language.

And they quote other textbooks that are making claims along these lines too; this is right at the beginning of TFA. So I think you are wrong that “no one thinks that”.

Of course they don’t think the old brains are 100% static but there are claims that they are largely conserved.

[tigen]

MacLean doesn't say the brain is an onion with a tiny reptile inside!

[jacquesm]

> there are claims that they are largely conserved.

That they're not static doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't largely conserved.