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evolution

Image shows a drawing of bees and people.

·July 31, 2017·3 min read

Parallels Between Unresponsive Honey Bees and Human Autism

Researchers report genes implicated in human ASD are regulated differently in honeybees that are more unresponsive than their nest mates. The PNAS study provides insight into the genetic heritage shared across species and offers clues about the evolution of social behavior.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 31, 2017·4 min read

How Mice Babies Ensure Mother’s Protection

A new study identifies neural cells that allow mouse pups to generate ultrasonic calls. Mice that lack the cells are mute. Researchers believe the cries of human babies could depend on similar connections.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 26, 2017·4 min read

‘Residual Echo’ of Ancient Humans in Scans May Hold Clues to Mental Disorders

A new study in Scientific Reports finds evidence from MRI scans suggests Neanderthal derived genetic variations affect how the brains of modern humans work. Findings may shed light on specific deficits seen in ASD and schizophrenia, researchers believe.

Featured Genetics Psychology

·July 19, 2017·4 min read

A Common Underlying Genetic Basis for Social Behavior in Dogs and Humans

Princeton researchers discover a genetic basis for hyper-social behavior in people and dogs.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 19, 2017·5 min read

Individual Insight into Brain Networks

Harvard researchers have identified two key brain networks that could play a key role in imagination and memory.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·July 17, 2017·6 min read

Humans Hardwired to Lean to the Right While Kissing the World Over

Researchers suggest that, regardless of where we are from in the world, humans are hardwired to lean to the right when kissing a romantic partner. The findings could have wider implications for neuroscience and cognitive sciences, the researchers report.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·July 10, 2017·4 min read

Decoding Brain Evolution

A new center headed by neurobiologists at Harvard is looking to unravel some long standing mysteries of the human brain. Researchers, backed by a $10 million grant, hope to shed light on brain development, evolution and human behavior. The funding will allow researchers to use ancient DNA to track frequency of genetic changes and provide a better understanding of the nature of human adaptation.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 26, 2017·6 min read

Brain Evolved to Need Exercise

While much research has shown that exercise can be good for our brains, the link between how physical activity benefits the brain is not clearly understood. In a new study, researchers suggest the link between brain health and exercise could be a product of our evolutionary history and our hunter-gatherer past.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 26, 2017·4 min read

Fossil Sheds Light on the Origin of the Neocortex

A new study reveals an early relative of mammals possessed an expanded brain with a neocortex like structure. The researchers reported the neocortex like structure developed in a late Permian therapsid 25 million years prior to the emergence of the first mammals.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 20, 2017·5 min read

The Story of Music is the Story of Humans

A new report reveals how the development of music is so closely tied to our own evolution.

Featured Psychology

·June 13, 2017·5 min read

Loneliness Contributes to Self-Centeredness for Sake of Self-Preservation

Loneliness increases self centeredness while being self centered contributes to feelings of loneliness, a new study reports.

Image shows diagrams of neural networks.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 8, 2017·5 min read

Simple Tasks Don’t Test Brain’s True Complexity

The brain's ability to use approximate probabilistic inference can not be studied by simple tasks that are not well suited to expose the inferential computations that make the brain special, researchers say.