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Related Concept Videos

Human Genetics01:28

Human Genetics

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Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
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Evolutionary Psychology01:20

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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...
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Synteny and Evolution02:31

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John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
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Gregor Mendel's work (1822 - 1884) was primarily focused on pea plants. Through his initial experiments, he determined that every gene in a diploid cell has two variants called alleles inherited from each parent. He suggested that amongst these two alleles, one allele is dominant in character and the other recessive. The combination of alleles determines the phenotype of a gene in an organism.
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Behavior genetics explores how genetic inheritance influences human behavior. It focuses on how genes, passed from parents to offspring, contribute to the development of behavioral traits and tendencies. This branch of genetics seeks to understand the complex interplay between inherited genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping our behaviors.
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Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 29, 2026

A Strategy to Identify de Novo Mutations in Common Disorders such as Autism and Schizophrenia
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Evolutionary conservation in genes underlying human psychiatric disorders.

Lisa M Ogawa1, Eric J Vallender1

  • 1Division of Neuroscience, New England Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School Southborough, MA, USA.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|May 17, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and autism may not be a direct cost of human brain evolution. Molecular evolution analysis suggests shared evolutionary pressures across catarrhines and cetaceans, not unique human selection for these diseases.

Keywords:
Homo sapiensadaptationautismschizophrenia

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Human psychiatric diseases like schizophrenia and autism lack clear animal models.
  • A hypothesis suggests these disorders arose from human brain evolution, linked to advances in cognition and executive function.
  • Understanding the genetic basis of these diseases requires comparative evolutionary analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the molecular evolution of genes associated with psychiatric disorders across primate and non-primate mammalian species.
  • To investigate whether differential selection pressures in humans, compared to other primates and mammals, are linked to these diseases.
  • To explore the role of brain evolution in the emergence of human-specific psychiatric conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Collected orthologous sequences for genes linked to psychiatric disorders from 11 primate and 34 non-primate mammalian species.
  • Calculated evolutionary parameters, specifically the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions (dN/dS), for each gene.
  • Compared evolutionary rates between disease classes and across species, focusing on humans, primates, and large-brained mammals.

Main Results:

  • No evidence of differential selection in humans exclusively for genes associated with psychiatric disorders was found.
  • Elevated dN/dS ratios were observed in Catarrhini (Old World monkeys and apes) and cetaceans, suggesting broader evolutionary trends.
  • The findings do not support the hypothesis that specific protein changes in humans are the sole cause of schizophrenia and autism.

Conclusions:

  • The molecular evolution of genes linked to psychiatric disorders does not appear to be a unique cost of human brain evolution.
  • The observed evolutionary trends in Catarrhini and cetaceans may indicate general adaptive processes rather than disease-specific selection.
  • Limitations in current gene association lists, potential roles of regulatory changes, or copy number variations may influence findings. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the genetic basis of human psychiatric diseases.