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

Intellectual Disability01:29

Intellectual Disability

1.1K
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning that manifest during the developmental period. This condition encompasses challenges in reasoning, memory, problem-solving, and learning, accompanied by impairments in everyday life skills, such as communication, self-care, and social interactions. Intellectual disability affects approximately 1% of the population in the United States, impacting an estimated 5...
1.1K
Incomplete Dominance01:43

Incomplete Dominance

32.9K
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.
32.9K
Human Genetics01:28

Human Genetics

1.9K
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...
1.9K
Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance02:30

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

39.6K
Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...
39.6K
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

707
Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
707
Animal Mitochondrial Genetics02:59

Animal Mitochondrial Genetics

10.2K
Among all the organelles in an animal cell, only mitochondria have their own independent genomes. Animal mitochondrial DNA is a double-stranded, closed-circular molecule with around 20,000 base pairs. Mitochondrial DNA is unique in that one of its two strands, the heavy, or H, -strand is guanine rich, whereas the complementary strand is cytosine rich and called the light, or L, -strand. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA has a very low percentage of non-coding regions and is marked by...
10.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Beyond the Maps: A Radiologist's Guide to CT Perfusion Pearls and Pitfalls.

Seminars in roentgenology·2026
Same author

Pervasive convergent evolution of sperm conjugation across the Arthropoda tree of life.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Independent origin of sperm heteromorphism in the Drosophilidae.

Journal of evolutionary biology·2026
Same author

Losing one's religion: relationships between autistic and schizotypal traits, religiosity, spirituality, and faith changes.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

Gender dysphoria is associated with empathizing and systemizing differently in females and males.

The journal of sexual medicine·2026
Same author

Does the Extreme Male Brain Hypothesis of Autism Apply More to Females Than Males? A Systematic and Meta-Analytic Approach.

Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 18, 2026

A Novel Strategy Combining Array-CGH, Whole-exome Sequencing and In Utero Electroporation in Rodents to Identify Causative Genes for Brain Malformations
08:22

A Novel Strategy Combining Array-CGH, Whole-exome Sequencing and In Utero Electroporation in Rodents to Identify Causative Genes for Brain Malformations

Published on: December 1, 2017

9.2K

Evolutionary genomics of human intellectual disability.

Bernard Crespi1, Kyle Summers2, Steve Dorus3

  • 1Department of Biosciences, Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada.

Evolutionary Applications
|January 9, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Genes linked to intellectual disability, particularly those on the X chromosome involved in neural development (Rho GTP-ase pathway) and DNA repair, show signs of positive selection, suggesting roles in human cognitive evolution.

Keywords:
geneticgenomicintellectual disabilitypositive selection

More Related Videos

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila
06:41

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila

Published on: August 20, 2019

14.5K
Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells NPCs
10:47

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells NPCs

Published on: March 2, 2018

10.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 18, 2026

A Novel Strategy Combining Array-CGH, Whole-exome Sequencing and In Utero Electroporation in Rodents to Identify Causative Genes for Brain Malformations
08:22

A Novel Strategy Combining Array-CGH, Whole-exome Sequencing and In Utero Electroporation in Rodents to Identify Causative Genes for Brain Malformations

Published on: December 1, 2017

9.2K
In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila
06:41

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila

Published on: August 20, 2019

14.5K
Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells NPCs
10:47

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells NPCs

Published on: March 2, 2018

10.7K

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Intellectual disability (ID) genes may have influenced human cognitive evolution.
  • Previous research suggests a concentration of ID genes on the X chromosome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively assess positive Darwinian selection on human intellectual disability genes.
  • To investigate patterns of selection on X-linked versus autosomal ID genes.
  • To identify specific pathways involved in cognitive evolution and ID.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of selection patterns on ID genes versus control genes.
  • Examination of gene location (X-linked vs. autosomal).
  • Focus on genes related to central nervous system function, Rho GTP-ase pathway, and DNA repair.

Main Results:

  • ID genes involved in central nervous system functions are concentrated on the X chromosome.
  • No overall higher incidence of recent positive selection on X-linked ID genes compared to autosomal or control genes.
  • Recent positive selection was concentrated in the Rho GTP-ase pathway for X-linked ID genes and in DNA repair genes overall.

Conclusions:

  • Alterations in the Rho GTP-ase pathway and DNA repair genes may be crucial for human cognitive evolution.
  • These pathways are implicated in both cognitive evolution and susceptibility to genetically-based intellectual disability.