Why the Human Brain Develops Differently From Other Primates, New Research Reveals
The Human Brain's Unique Developmental Journey
The human brain stands as one of nature's most remarkable achievements, enabling advanced behaviours and cognitive skills that are not found in any other species. For generations, scientists have sought to uncover what sets the human brain apart and how it evolves throughout a person's lifetime.
In recent years, breakthroughs in technology and experimental methods have transformed neuroscience, allowing researchers to map brain structure and function with unprecedented precision. These advances are offering valuable insights into the biological roots of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions.
Comparing Human and Macaque Brain Development
A research team from Beijing Normal University, the Changping Laboratory and partner institutions has now compared the developmental trajectories of the human and macaque brains using cutting-edge genetic and molecular techniques. Their findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, reveal notable differences between the species, particularly showing that the human prefrontal cortex develops at a slower pace than that of macaques.
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Decoding Prefrontal Cortex Development at Cellular Level
Decoding how the human prefrontal cortex (PFC) develops at the cellular and molecular level is key to understanding both human intelligence and vulnerability to neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, the researchers explained.
Jiyao Zhang, Mayuqing Li and their team reported the creation of a unique comparative resource that captures gene activity, chromatin structure and spatial transcriptomic patterns in the postnatal PFC of humans and macaques, analyzed one cell at a time.
Mapping Brain Development at a Single-Cell Level
The study involved high-resolution mapping of brain development using tissue samples collected from the prefrontal cortex of humans and macaques at different postnatal stages. Human tissue was sourced from paediatric epilepsy patients undergoing medically necessary brain surgery.
The research team examined gene activity within individual cells extracted from the collected tissue, alongside chromatin accessibility, which indicates how open or closed DNA is inside each cell. Using spatial transcriptomics, they also charted gene expression across entire brain sections and identified the various cell types present.
According to the authors, these integrated analyses revealed species-specific developmental pathways for different cell populations, pinpointing critical periods and gene regulatory networks involved in synapse formation, synaptic pruning and gliogenesis.
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Human-Specific Brain Development Mechanisms Identified
The findings showed that the human prefrontal cortex develops over a longer timeframe than that of macaques. In addition, glial progenitor cells —steam-like cells that later give rise to specialized glial types—were found to proliferate more extensively in humans.
The researchers reported that they had identified regulatory mechanisms linked to the extended development of the human prefrontal cortex compared with that of macaques. They found that glial progenitor cells in humans display a greater capacity for proliferation, accompanied by distinctive gene expression patterns.
The study also pinpointed specific cell types and development lineages that appear most vulnerable to neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, with particular emphasis on transcription factors showing human-specific expression.
Insights That Could Deepen Understanding of Human Cognition
Zhang, Li and their colleagues uncovered a series of important findings that offer deeper insight into well-known functional differences between human brains and those of other primates. The team identified transcription factors that influence human brain development but appear absent in macaques, while also highlighting specific cell types in human tissue that are commonly affected in patients with certain neurological disorders.
"Our findings reveal human-specific regulatory programmes that extend postnatal cortical maturation through coordinated neuronal and glial development, with clear implications for cognition and neurodevelopmental disorders," the researchers wrote.
Looking ahead, these results could improve understanding of how the human brain matures and which molecular pathways are disrupted in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions, potentially opening the door to new preventive or therapeutic approaches.
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