Breakthrough Study Identifies Unique Human Genes Spark Brain Development
A groundbreaking discovery has emerged from recent research led by the German Primate Center and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, highlighting the influence of two human-specific genes on brain development. This research, published on March 27, 2025, unveils how these genes uniquely contribute to the evolution of the human cerebrum, underscoring its unparalleled complexity in the animal kingdom.
The study illuminates the synergistic role these genes play: one gene induces the multiplication of brain progenitor cells, while the other facilitates their transformation into distinct progenitor cells destined to develop into neurons. This finely tuned mechanism is hypothesized to be a pivotal element in the evolutionary trajectory that has led to the exceptionally sophisticated human brain.