Childhood amnesia (infantile amnesia)

Biological Parallel

Young mammals lack adult memory capacity—hippocampal maturation is incomplete, and rapid brain reorganization during development overwrites early traces. Rat pups form memories that disappear within days as neurogenesis remodels the hippocampus; the same pattern appears in infant chimpanzees. Elephant calves demonstrate this dramatically: they follow their mothers for years, learning routes and water sources, yet can't recall specific events from their first year. This isn't loss; it's building a foundation before the structure. Early learning shapes neural architecture even when specific memories don't persist. Childhood amnesia reflects immature memory infrastructure: early experiences occur before the neural hardware capable of long-term autobiographical storage is fully built. Organizations show the same pattern: foundational decisions shape culture even when no one remembers who made them.