Dr Elis Newham, Post-doctoral Research Assistant in Prof Himadri Gupta's research group, appeared on BBC2’s 'Secrets of the Brain' on Monday 29th September to explain brain evolution in the earliest mammals.

He visited Cwm Colhuw Beach in South Wales, where the earliest mammals known as 'Morganucodon' were discovered, to talk to Professor Jim Al’Khalili about what makes their brains so special.

Dr Newham's research into these ancient mammals looked at what their teeth can tell us about how they lived; "although they had bigger brains and more advanced behaviour, they didn’t live fast and die young but led a slower-paced, longer life akin to those of small reptiles, like lizards," Dr Newham said when this research was first published in 2020.

He told Prof Al'Khalili about morganucodon's neo-cortex - a part of their brain not found in other animals at the time. "It's the bump that makes our brains unique" said Prof Al'Khalili goes on to explain.

The full episode is available to watch back on BBC iPlayer for 11 months.