Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains
Published on: January 16, 2026
Evolution of the nervous system: a critical evaluation of how genetic changes translate into morphological changes
1College de France, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. alain.prochiantz@college-de-france.fr
Abstract:
Living creatures evolve, and this evolution allows them to adapt to an ever-changing milieu. Two main adaptive strategies coexist. The first involves genetic mutations taking place at the species level. The second strategy occurs at the individual level, and primarily involves changes in chromatin organization and brain circuits. We shall illustrate how the two modes of adaptation are interdependent, and will show the difference in their respective importance depending on the species. It will be proposed that changes in developmental strategies, genetically selected, can lead to more or less epigenetic freedom, sometimes with dramatic consequences. In particular it will be shown, taking chimpanzees and humans as examples, how minor genetic modifications can translate into nonlinear changes in brain structure and cultural practices, placing the two types of primates at a much greater distance than had been anticipated.
More Related Videos
06:17Quantifying Levels of Dopaminergic Neuron Morphological Alteration and Degeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: November 20, 2021
10:13Dissection and Immunofluorescent Staining of Mushroom Body and Photoreceptor Neurons in Adult Drosophila melanogaster Brains
Published on: November 6, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Neurulation
The Evidence for Evolution
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Evolutionary Psychology