Lineage tracing in human cortical development

How progenitor lineage relationships shape the cellular diversity and organization of the human cortex remains a central question in developmental neuroscience. Lineage tracing provides a framework for understanding how developmental trajectories generate this diversity by capturing cellular history rather than static molecular identity, revealing progenitor fate potential, temporal regulation of developmental competence, and spatial patterns of clonal organization. In this review, we examine advances in prospective viral barcoding, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based evolvable lineage recording, and retrospective inference from endogenous somatic mutations, highlighting how these complementary approaches are reshaping our understanding of human cortical development. We discuss evidence that human cortical progenitors exhibit expanded fate potential, prolonged temporal control of lineage output, and regionally patterned lineage dispersion, distinct from canonical rodent models. We further consider how integrating lineage information with molecular profiling and genetic perturbation enables causal dissection of developmental programs. Finally, we explore how disrupted lineage dynamics contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders, suggesting disease mechanisms as deviations in developmental trajectories. Recognizing lineage dynamics as an organizing principle will be essential for linking developmental ancestry to cortical organization and disease vulnerability.