The answer to what makes the human brain unique may lie in junk DNA.
Studying 50 species of primates, researchers found 80% of the species studied performed corpse carrying behaviors as a way to process grief. Following the loss of an infant, some primate mothers carried the body for up to four months following death.
Researchers have identified 2,000 genes in humans linked to longevity. The genes are associated with biological mechanisms that drive the prolongation of life in mammals, including DNA repair, coagulation, and immune response.
Almost half of the identified human accelerated regions of the genome appear to act as neurodevelopment enhancers, researchers say. The findings shed new light on the genetic basis of human evolution.
In order to understand life's full range of forms, new theoretical frameworks must be developed, researchers say.
A new study reveals the impact climate played in the evolution of the human brain and body. Studying 300 fossils from the genus Homo found across the globe, researchers found those who lived in colder climates had larger body frames. Larger bodies provided a buffer from colder temperatures. Brain size tended to be larger in those who lived in environments with less vegetation and survived by hunting large animals, a task that involved higher cognitive function.
Human near-death experiences may have arisen from an evolutionary mechanism, researchers report.
The recently discovered Homo longi lineage may be our closest relative. The findings have the potential to reshape our understanding of human evolution.
Foxes bred to be either tame or aggressive had increased size in similar brain regions, a new study reports. The animals bred for specific behavioral traits had larger brains than those that were conventionally bred. The findings contradict existing theories of animal domestication.
The Tsimane, an indigenous people from the Bolivian Amazon, have less brain atrophy than American aging adults, a new study reports. Additionally, the decrease in their brain volume associated with aging is 70% less than seen in older American adults.
Combining brain imaging data with machine learning, researchers make new discoveries about how the brain controls the hand. The findings could lead to the development of more advanced neuroprosthetics.
The cerebellum underwent evolutionary changes that may have contributed to the development of language, culture, and tool use in humans, a new study reveals.
