New brain gene

New brain gene gives us edge over apes

November 15, 2012

(Credit: Ross Hawkes/Flickr)

An international team led by the University of Edinburgh hasdiscovered a new gene called miR-941 that helps explain how humans evolved evolved from apes by playing a crucial role in human brain development, and may shed light on how we learned to use tools and language.

The researchers say it is the first time that a new gene — carried only by humans and not by apes — has been shown to have a specific function within the human body. They  compared the human genome to 11 other species of mammals, including chimpanzees, gorillas, mouse and rat, to find the differences between them.

The results showed that the gene — miR-941 — is unique to humans. The researchers say it emerged between six and one million years ago, after humans had evolved from apes.

The gene is highly active in two areas of the brain that control our decision making and language abilities. The study suggests it could have a role in the advanced brain functions that make us human./.../