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The cranium (skull) is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brain. It is subdivided into the facial bones and the brain case, or cranial vault. The facial bones underlie the facial structures, form the nasal cavity, enclose the eyeballs, and support the teeth of the upper and lower jaws.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Visualization of Cortical Modules in Flattened Mammalian Cortices
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Cortical evolution: judge the brain by its cover.

Daniel H Geschwind1, Pasko Rakic

  • 1Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.

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|November 5, 2013
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Summary

Understanding the evolution of human cognition requires studying the cerebral cortex. Advances in developmental neurobiology and genetics reveal how gene evolution and regulatory elements shaped the human cerebrum and its unique traits.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The cerebral cortex is the biological basis of human higher cognition.
  • Understanding its evolution is key to understanding human uniqueness.
  • Massive expansion and complex connections of the human cortex originate from developmental events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore evolutionary mechanisms behind the human cerebrum.
  • To link advances in developmental neurobiology and genetics to human cognitive evolution.
  • To understand the genetic regulation of cortical development.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzing advances in developmental neurobiology.
  • Investigating genetic factors, including adaptive protein evolution via gene duplications.
  • Examining the emergence of novel regulatory elements.
  • Considering the role of pre- and postnatal environmental interactions.

Main Results:

  • Insights into evolutionary mechanisms driving human cerebrum development.
  • Identification of critical genetic regulatory processes for cell number, migration, and differentiation.
  • Understanding the prolonged refinement of synaptic connections in humans.
  • Linking developmental and genetic factors to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Conclusions:

  • The evolution of the human cerebrum is a complex interplay of genetic and developmental factors.
  • Understanding cortical development is crucial for insights into human cognition and brain disorders.
  • Further research integrating genetics and developmental neurobiology is essential.