Scienceblogtwo

Researchers have long been motivated by the query of what distinguishes contemporary humans from earlier species. The Neanderthals, our nearest living ancestors, offer fascinating insights in this regard. The expansion of the brain and the synthesis of new neurons throughout brain development are thought to be key contributors to the evolution of higher cognitive functions in humans. Although modern humans and Neanderthals both have brains of a similar size, little is known about whether the creation of neurons in modern human and Neanderthal brains throughout development may have varied. The protein TKTL1, which differs from the Neanderthal variant only by one amino acid, is now known to increase basal radial glia, a type of brain progenitor cell, in the modern human brain, according to research from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden. The bulk of the neurons in the growing neocortex, an area of the brain essential for many cognitive f...

A 380-million-year-old heart, the oldest ever found, coupled with a separate fossilized stomach, intestine, and liver were found in an ancient jawed fish, providing new insight into how our own bodies have changed through time. The newly discovered anatomy of arthrodires, a class of extinct armored fishes that flourished between 419.2 million years ago and 358.9 million years ago, is similar to that of modern sharks, according to new research that was just published in Science. This discovery provides crucial new evolutionary clues. Given the rarity of finding 3D preservation of soft tissues from ancient animals, lead researcher John Curtin Distinguished Professor Kate Trinajstic of Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences and the Western Australian Museum said the discovery was exceptional. As a palaeontologist with more than 20 years of experience studying fossils, Professor Trinajstic stated, "I was absolutely shocked to see a 3D and wonderfully preserved heart in a 3...