Brain evolution

…progenitor cell subtype implicated in brain evolution. Previous studies showed that the number of bRG morphotypes is higher in species (e.g. primates) with the larger neocortex, an evolutionary newer region of the cerebral cortex, than in species with smaller neocortex (e.g. mice). Therefore, it can be hypothesized that morphotype diversification of bRG is a feature gained in species with expanded neocortex during evolution. To examine this hypothesis, the present study analyzed the morphotypes of bRG in the evolutionary older regi

Brains do not fossilise, but as they grow and expand during fetal and infant development, they leave an imprint in the bony braincase. Such imprints of fossilised braincases provide direct evidence of brain evolution, but the underlying biological changes have remained elusive. Combining data from fossil skulls, ancient genomes, brain imaging and gene expression helps shed light on the evolutionary changes shaping the human brain. I will highlight two examples separated by more than 3 million years: the evolution of brain growth in Lucy and her kind, and differences between modern humans and N

Drawing on recent findings from evolutionary anthropology and neuroscience, professor Barton will lead us through the amazing story of the evolution of human cognition. Usingstatistical, phylogenetic analyses that tease apart the variation associated with different neural systems and due to different selection pressures, he will be addressing intriguing questions like ‘Why are there so many neurons in the cerebellum?’, ‘Is the neocortex the ‘intelligent’ bit of the brain?’, and ‘What explains that the recognition by humans of emotional expressions is disrupted by trancranial magnetic stimulati