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

What is Evolutionary History?02:35

What is Evolutionary History?

43.7K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
43.7K
Spontaneity02:21

Spontaneity

30.2K
A spontaneous process is one that occurs naturally under certain conditions. A nonspontaneous process, on the other hand, will not take place unless it is “driven” by the continual input of energy from an external source. Processes have a natural tendency to occur in one direction under a given set of conditions. Water will naturally flow downhill (spontaneous process), but uphill flow (nonspontaneous process) requires outside intervention such as the use of a pump. Iron exposed to...
30.2K
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

1.0K
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...
1.0K
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

381
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
381
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

7.1K
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
7.1K
Spontaneous and Induced Mutations01:30

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

2.4K
Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).
2.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Large language models to infer depression in patients with neurological conditions.

BMJ neurology open·2026
Same author

Closing the referral gap: The role of a quality improvement initiative to enhance pelvic health physical therapy referrals for persons with multiple sclerosis-related bladder symptoms.

Multiple sclerosis journal - experimental, translational and clinical·2026
Same author

Menopause is a physiological progression event for women with multiple sclerosis: Yes.

Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)·2026
Same author

Expert Opinion on Age-Related Sex Hormone Changes and Hypogonadism in People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Delphi Consensus Program.

Neurology. Clinical practice·2026
Same author

"B-cell depletion vaginitis and pyoderma gangrenosum"-Author Response.

Multiple sclerosis (Houndmills, Basingstoke, England)·2026
Same author

Simulation of Clinical Visits as a Novel Approach to Evaluate Digital Health in Multiple Sclerosis: Simulation Study.

JMIR medical informatics·2025
Same journal

Built environment is a key driver of cardiometabolic health in two Indigenous groups undergoing rapid lifestyle change.

Evolution, medicine, and public health·2026
Same journal

Adaptive therapy and its challenges.

Evolution, medicine, and public health·2026
Same journal

Competitive suppression and release in artemisinin-resistant <i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> field isolates.

Evolution, medicine, and public health·2026
Same journal

An evolutionary medicine perspective on the design of non-hormonal contraceptives for women.

Evolution, medicine, and public health·2026
Same journal

Daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law in lowland rural Nepal: The balance of power and health outcomes.

Evolution, medicine, and public health·2026
Same journal

Cancer, collapse, and the politics of somatic evolution.

Evolution, medicine, and public health·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
09:41

Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

Published on: July 19, 2019

12.1K

Why monkeys do not get multiple sclerosis (spontaneously): An evolutionary approach.

Riley M Bove1

  • 1Department of Neurology, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health
|March 2, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may originate from disruptions in myelin maintenance during human brain development. Evolutionary and life history perspectives suggest modern environments interact with ancestral genetics, increasing MS risk, particularly in young women.

Keywords:
brainevolutionhormonemultiple sclerosismyelin

More Related Videos

The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
11:35

The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool

Published on: June 30, 2014

58.8K
A Protocol for the Use of Remotely-Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS in Multiple Sclerosis MS
08:18

A Protocol for the Use of Remotely-Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS in Multiple Sclerosis MS

Published on: December 26, 2015

18.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
09:41

Comprehensive Autopsy Program for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis

Published on: July 19, 2019

12.1K
The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool
11:35

The Multiple Sclerosis Performance Test MSPT: An iPad-Based Disability Assessment Tool

Published on: June 30, 2014

58.8K
A Protocol for the Use of Remotely-Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS in Multiple Sclerosis MS
08:18

A Protocol for the Use of Remotely-Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS in Multiple Sclerosis MS

Published on: December 26, 2015

18.1K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human life history

Background:

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) is unique to humans, coinciding with our evolution of large brains and extended developmental periods.
  • MS onset peaks around the end of a prolonged myelination period, a metabolically costly process.
  • MS incidence has disproportionately increased in young women, linked to urbanization and westernization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the evolutionary origins of multiple sclerosis (MS) using a life history approach.
  • To hypothesize that MS arises from disrupted myelin homeostasis during human development.
  • To identify under-explored areas of brain development and homeostasis relevant to MS origins.

Main Methods:

  • Review and integration of evolutionary, neurological, and epidemiological data on MS.
  • Application of a life history framework to understand MS pathogenesis.
  • Analysis of human-specific traits, such as prolonged brain development and myelination.

Main Results:

  • Humans uniquely develop MS, linked to their large brains and extended myelination periods.
  • MS onset correlates with the completion of myelination, suggesting a developmental vulnerability.
  • Increased MS rates in young women point to sexually specific susceptibilities influenced by modern environments.

Conclusions:

  • MS may result from the disruption of myelin production and maintenance homeostasis during human development.
  • Interactions between ancestral genes and modern environmental exposures are critical in MS etiology.
  • Further research into brain development homeostasis is needed to understand MS origins.