The answer to what makes the human brain unique may lie in junk DNA.
Study reveals how evolution and natural selection have optimized the mammalian retina.
H3 acetylation of basal neural precursor cells may have been an important factor in the evolution of the human neocortex.
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.
Whether you hug to show affection to comfort a loved one in pain, researchers explore the neuroscience of why a cuddle feels so good.
In order to understand life's full range of forms, new theoretical frameworks must be developed, researchers say.
While the response to numbers may be an evolutionary trait we share with some animals, our ability to perceive language and digits underpins our advanced mathematical skills.
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.
Study points to the evolutionary and developmental similarities between sensory cells in the inner ear and skin.
Human near-death experiences may have arisen from an evolutionary mechanism, researchers report.
