Gene may be key to evolution of larger human brain
Researchers have identified a gene that appears to have played a role in the expansion of the human brain’s cerebral cortex — a hallmark of the evolution of humans from other primates. By comparing the gene’s sequence in a range of primates, including humans, as well as non-primate mammals, the scientists found evidence that the pressure of natural selection accelerated changes in the gene, particularly in the primate lineage leading to humans.