The human brain continues to evolve

Humans continue to evolve and the fastest evolutionary genes are involved in brain development. It is confirmed by a group of US researchers from the University of California.

(Photo: fi.edu) The researchers found 18 changes in 118 letters (our genome is a combination of letters A, C, T and G) belonging to an area of ​​the genome we carry. HAR1 (Human accelerated region) name.

These changes are found inside a particular gene involved in the development of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex - the area of ​​the brain involved in complex thoughts and learning.

If there are 18 differences between chimpanzees and chimpanzees, there are only 2 differences between chimpanzees and chickens. This means that there have been 18 changes within 5 million years (the time of descendants of future chimpanzees and descendants of future humans has separated).

Dr. Katherine Pollard and colleagues explain in Nature that, biologically, this is a sign of a very fast evolution.

"We do not know what this gene is ," said David Haussler, a member of the research team. 'But the study confirms that it plays an important role in the development of the cerebral cortex. This is interesting because the human cortex is three times larger than our ancestors'.

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