Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Metabolic Rate01:25

Metabolic Rate

The human body is a powerhouse of energy, with every cell performing numerous functions that require energy. This energy production and consumption is measured by the metabolic rate, which quantifies the total heat generated by all the body's chemical reactions and mechanical work. This measurement helps to determine the rate of kilocalorie (kcal) consumption needed to fuel all ongoing activities.
The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) measures the energy expended at rest.
Several factors influence the...
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A comparison of ancient DNA yields across ossicles and the petrous bone reveals the best preservation in the stapes and incus.

Genome research·2026
Same author

Going wild in banana breeding enables Fusarium-resistant hybrids with improved fruit quality.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Hydrogel-Flexible Electronics Integrated Platforms for Diabetic Wound Management.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Novel stomach-predominant C-type lectin (LvnCTL) triggers immune response against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and WSSV in shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.

Fish & shellfish immunology·2026
Same author

Construction of a novel Mn<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/NiCo<sub>2</sub>S<sub>4</sub> composite catalyst for enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation toward rapid degradation of ofloxacin: Mechanistic and toxicity assessment.

Environmental research·2026
Same author

Porous carbon sphere supported Sv-CuIn<sub>5</sub>S<sub>8</sub>: a triple-engineered platform for high-efficiency photocatalytic CO<sub>2</sub> conversion.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2026
Same journal

Chemotactic self-organization captures the dynamics of mammalian hair follicle patterning.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Tomographic imaging of superconducting order using particle-hole interference.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inhibitory potential of autologous neutralizing antibodies sets quantitative limits on the rebound-competent HIV-1 reservoir.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inferring epidemiological parameters under an infectious phylogeography model with visitor dynamics.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Analytical modeling for suction cup designs for skin-interfaced wearable devices.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Improving cell-free metabolism through direct integration of artificial respiratory chains.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis
10:33

Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis

Published on: June 20, 2012

Rapid metabolic evolution in human prefrontal cortex.

Xing Fu1, Patrick Giavalisco, Xiling Liu

  • 1Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 200031 Shanghai, China.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 30, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human brain evolution involved significant metabolic shifts, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. These changes accelerated in humans, impacting pathways crucial for cognition and learning.

More Related Videos

Studying Metabolic Brain Connectivity Using 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography at the Single-subject Level
07:28

Studying Metabolic Brain Connectivity Using 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography at the Single-subject Level

Published on: January 24, 2025

Multi-Tracer Studies of Brain Oxygen and Glucose Metabolism Using a Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Scanner
08:36

Multi-Tracer Studies of Brain Oxygen and Glucose Metabolism Using a Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Scanner

Published on: June 7, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis
10:33

Correlating Behavioral Responses to fMRI Signals from Human Prefrontal Cortex: Examining Cognitive Processes Using Task Analysis

Published on: June 20, 2012

Studying Metabolic Brain Connectivity Using 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography at the Single-subject Level
07:28

Studying Metabolic Brain Connectivity Using 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]Fluoro-D-Glucose Dynamic Positron Emission Tomography at the Single-subject Level

Published on: January 24, 2025

Multi-Tracer Studies of Brain Oxygen and Glucose Metabolism Using a Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Scanner
08:36

Multi-Tracer Studies of Brain Oxygen and Glucose Metabolism Using a Time-of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography Scanner

Published on: June 7, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Metabolomics

Background:

  • Human evolution features increased brain size and cognitive abilities.
  • Metabolic changes in the brain are hypothesized to underlie these human-specific cognitive enhancements.
  • Previous studies lacked direct metabolite measurements comparing humans and apes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate evolutionary and developmental changes in brain metabolism.
  • To compare metabolite concentrations in human, chimpanzee, and macaque brains.
  • To identify human-specific metabolic alterations and their affected pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed over 100 metabolites in prefrontal and cerebellar cortex.
  • Utilized gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
  • Compared samples from humans, chimpanzees, and rhesus macaques across different ages.

Main Results:

  • Significant age-related (88%) and species-specific (77%) metabolic changes were observed.
  • Brain metabolome divergence generally reflects phylogenetic relationships.
  • A fourfold acceleration of metabolic changes occurred in the human prefrontal cortex compared to the cerebellum.

Conclusions:

  • Human brain evolution is marked by accelerated metabolic changes, especially in the prefrontal cortex.
  • These changes correlate with altered enzyme expression and impact synaptic transmission, memory, and learning pathways.
  • Metabolomic analysis provides crucial insights into the biological basis of human cognitive evolution.