Brain Evolution News
@brainevolutionnews.bsky.social
Brain Evolution in the News posted here for you!
For events & opportunities in brain evolution research follow @EurNetBrainEvoR.bsky.social
http://brainevolutionnews.blogspot.com
For events & opportunities in brain evolution research follow @EurNetBrainEvoR.bsky.social
http://brainevolutionnews.blogspot.com
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
It's #NationalFossilDay here in the USA, so here's a photo of our T. rex brain endocast based on a US national fossil—AMNH 5117. The surprise was to see it on exhibit in Japan at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. Feel free to print one of your own: skfb.ly/Mqsq ! 🦖
October 15, 2025 at 8:20 PM
It's #NationalFossilDay here in the USA, so here's a photo of our T. rex brain endocast based on a US national fossil—AMNH 5117. The surprise was to see it on exhibit in Japan at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. Feel free to print one of your own: skfb.ly/Mqsq ! 🦖
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Thrilled to share that I’ve successfully defended my PhD thesis on human brain evolution at @humantechnopole.bsky.social 🎓 A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Excited for what comes next!
October 7, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Thrilled to share that I’ve successfully defended my PhD thesis on human brain evolution at @humantechnopole.bsky.social 🎓 A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. Excited for what comes next!
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
One motivation behind this review was that recently, I learned that neurobiologists knew of Ludwig Edinger while paleontologists knew of Tilly Edinger, his daugther. It made me realized how much, we had been disconnected from one another. I hope that this review brings these fields closer again ☺️
October 15, 2025 at 9:52 AM
One motivation behind this review was that recently, I learned that neurobiologists knew of Ludwig Edinger while paleontologists knew of Tilly Edinger, his daugther. It made me realized how much, we had been disconnected from one another. I hope that this review brings these fields closer again ☺️
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
New paper out! It was an honor to collaborate with the legend Leah Krubitzer on this review to show that paleontologists and neurobiologists working together can only improve our understanding of brain evolution 🧠
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Full access to the paper: rdcu.be/eK167
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Full access to the paper: rdcu.be/eK167
The functional adaptations of mammalian brain structures through a behavioural ecology lens - Nature Reviews Biodiversity
Palaeontologists and comparative neurobiologists share a common interest in the evolution of the mammalian brain, but often fail to realize the benefits of this shared interest. This Review draws thes...
www.nature.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:52 AM
New paper out! It was an honor to collaborate with the legend Leah Krubitzer on this review to show that paleontologists and neurobiologists working together can only improve our understanding of brain evolution 🧠
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Full access to the paper: rdcu.be/eK167
www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Full access to the paper: rdcu.be/eK167
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
2025. From nociception in aneural animals to human suffering: toward a comparative biology of pain url: journals.biologists.com/jeb/article-...
From nociception in aneural animals to human suffering: toward a comparative biology of pain
Summary: The biology of widely shared and unusual features of human pain is informed by functional and mechanistic comparisons of nociception and pain-like aversive states across vertebrate and invert...
journals.biologists.com
October 15, 2025 at 10:40 PM
2025. From nociception in aneural animals to human suffering: toward a comparative biology of pain url: journals.biologists.com/jeb/article-...
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Can Only Meat Machines be Conscious? New paper in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, free download until November 26 with this URL: authors.elsevier.com/a/1luwh4sIRv...
authors.elsevier.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Can Only Meat Machines be Conscious? New paper in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, free download until November 26 with this URL: authors.elsevier.com/a/1luwh4sIRv...
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Homo no-lead-i. ... in seriousness, this is an interesting new paper! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Impact of intermittent lead exposure on hominid brain evolution
Lead exposure, as influenced by NOVA1 expression, affected brain function in multiple hominid species.
www.science.org
October 16, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Homo no-lead-i. ... in seriousness, this is an interesting new paper! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
New online! The functional adaptations of mammalian brain structures through a behavioural ecology lens
The functional adaptations of mammalian brain structures through a behavioural ecology lens
Nature Reviews Biodiversity, Published online: 15 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s44358-025-00095-0Palaeontologists and comparative neurobiologists share a common interest in the evolution of the mammalian brain, but often fail to realize the benefits of this shared interest. This Review draws these fields together, demonstrating the utility of a cross-disciplinary, synergistic approach.
bit.ly
October 15, 2025 at 10:52 AM
New online! The functional adaptations of mammalian brain structures through a behavioural ecology lens
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Excited to share our new #biorxivpreprint:
“Sexual dimorphism in the complete connectome of the Drosophila male central nervous system” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe the #connectomics reconstruction and analysis of an entire adult #maleCNS #drosophila central nervous system. 1/10
“Sexual dimorphism in the complete connectome of the Drosophila male central nervous system” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe the #connectomics reconstruction and analysis of an entire adult #maleCNS #drosophila central nervous system. 1/10
October 15, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Excited to share our new #biorxivpreprint:
“Sexual dimorphism in the complete connectome of the Drosophila male central nervous system” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe the #connectomics reconstruction and analysis of an entire adult #maleCNS #drosophila central nervous system. 1/10
“Sexual dimorphism in the complete connectome of the Drosophila male central nervous system” www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe the #connectomics reconstruction and analysis of an entire adult #maleCNS #drosophila central nervous system. 1/10
Evolution of intelligence in our ancestors may have come at a cost
www.newscientist.com/article/2499...
www.newscientist.com/article/2499...
Evolution of intelligence in our ancestors may have come at a cost
By tracing when variations in the human genome first appeared, researchers have found that advances in cognitive abilities may have led to our vulnerability to mental illness
www.newscientist.com
October 15, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Evolution of intelligence in our ancestors may have come at a cost
www.newscientist.com/article/2499...
www.newscientist.com/article/2499...
Ancient Lead Exposure Influenced the Evolution of the Human Brain
bioengineer.org/ancient-lead...
bioengineer.org/ancient-lead...
Ancient Lead Exposure Influenced the Evolution of the Human Brain
A groundbreaking new study has profoundly reshaped our understanding of lead exposure and its impact on human evolution, revealing that the toxic metal’s influence extends back nearly two million y
bioengineer.org
October 15, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Ancient Lead Exposure Influenced the Evolution of the Human Brain
bioengineer.org/ancient-lead...
bioengineer.org/ancient-lead...
Evolution may have capped human brain size to balance energy costs and survival
www.psypost.org/evolution-ma...
www.psypost.org/evolution-ma...
Evolution may have capped human brain size to balance energy costs and survival
Human brain growth slowed about 300,000 years ago, research in Brain & Cognition suggests. Energy demands and shifting climates may have capped brain size, pushing survival toward cultural innovations...
www.psypost.org
October 15, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Evolution may have capped human brain size to balance energy costs and survival
www.psypost.org/evolution-ma...
www.psypost.org/evolution-ma...
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Moreover, AGI might also require social interactions to become a reality, where cultural evolution (and extended mind) play a major role. It is not by chance that brain and culture evolved together, allowing complex minds to emerge @anilseth.bsky.social @mitibennett.bsky.social
October 11, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Moreover, AGI might also require social interactions to become a reality, where cultural evolution (and extended mind) play a major role. It is not by chance that brain and culture evolved together, allowing complex minds to emerge @anilseth.bsky.social @mitibennett.bsky.social
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
An evolutionary perspective is much required to truly understand consciousness, how it originates and what clases we might find. We proposed a space of possible cognitions and did a comparative analysis
October 11, 2025 at 1:55 PM
An evolutionary perspective is much required to truly understand consciousness, how it originates and what clases we might find. We proposed a space of possible cognitions and did a comparative analysis
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Can general artificial intelligence emerge by not following the evolution of complex brains? In this 2022 paper with @brigan.bsky.social we argued that embodiment, mind reading (mirror systems), mental time traveling... are necessary conditions
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
October 11, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Can general artificial intelligence emerge by not following the evolution of complex brains? In this 2022 paper with @brigan.bsky.social we argued that embodiment, mind reading (mirror systems), mental time traveling... are necessary conditions
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/24... @anilseth.bsky.social
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Thanks to Arendt group: Detlev, Leslie, Tobi, Nico @galicae.bsky.social and Phil. My amazing students @gulceserka.bsky.social, @anaverbanac.bsky.social,Maite and Dori. Huge thanks to the Kaessmann lab for all their support and fruitful discussions @kaessmannlab.bsky.social @evo-and-devo.bsky.social
a man in a suit and tie is giving a thank you sign .
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is giving a thank you sign .
media.tenor.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Thanks to Arendt group: Detlev, Leslie, Tobi, Nico @galicae.bsky.social and Phil. My amazing students @gulceserka.bsky.social, @anaverbanac.bsky.social,Maite and Dori. Huge thanks to the Kaessmann lab for all their support and fruitful discussions @kaessmannlab.bsky.social @evo-and-devo.bsky.social
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
We now have a unique opportunity to keep developing cartilaginous fish models. Throug their study we will be able to explore how these and other features evolved across vertebrates and uncover the molecular mechanisms driving brain evolution. Stay tuned for more discoveries and tool developments!
September 2, 2025 at 5:51 PM
We now have a unique opportunity to keep developing cartilaginous fish models. Throug their study we will be able to explore how these and other features evolved across vertebrates and uncover the molecular mechanisms driving brain evolution. Stay tuned for more discoveries and tool developments!
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Our study moved the postulated origin of several developmental pallial features back to the jawed common ancestor. We hypothesize these features likely contributed to the increased complexity of their brains coincident with the emergence of predation.
a stuffed shark is standing in front of a fire
ALT: a stuffed shark is standing in front of a fire
media.tenor.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Our study moved the postulated origin of several developmental pallial features back to the jawed common ancestor. We hypothesize these features likely contributed to the increased complexity of their brains coincident with the emergence of predation.
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Using the plasmid, we showed that the dorsal pallial area gives rise to a layered structure aligned with the positions of Reelin and CRs. Moreover, this structure corresponds with a complex anatomical region that brings together glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, likely forming a complex circuitry
September 2, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Using the plasmid, we showed that the dorsal pallial area gives rise to a layered structure aligned with the positions of Reelin and CRs. Moreover, this structure corresponds with a complex anatomical region that brings together glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, likely forming a complex circuitry
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
We developed a protocol to label shark neural tissue with a reporter plasmid- First time this is achieved in a Cartilaginous Fish! Impossible without (bluesky-less) Maite Boersig, Isabel Rollán, Dori Torres-Sabino and Rami Reshef. The coolest shark team ever!🦈💙
September 2, 2025 at 5:51 PM
We developed a protocol to label shark neural tissue with a reporter plasmid- First time this is achieved in a Cartilaginous Fish! Impossible without (bluesky-less) Maite Boersig, Isabel Rollán, Dori Torres-Sabino and Rami Reshef. The coolest shark team ever!🦈💙
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Till recently, bony fish have been the main fish reference group for comparative purpose, but contrary to cartilaginous fish, they are evolutionary speedsters, with brains that have taken unique paths.
September 2, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Till recently, bony fish have been the main fish reference group for comparative purpose, but contrary to cartilaginous fish, they are evolutionary speedsters, with brains that have taken unique paths.
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
In our lab we study the evolutionary origin of neurons and nervous systems. For this we use #choanoflagellates & #ctenophores as model organisms. Enjoy this beautiful ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi filmed in our facility in Bergen: www.uib.no/en/michaelsa... #evolution #origin #neuron
November 15, 2024 at 3:01 PM
In our lab we study the evolutionary origin of neurons and nervous systems. For this we use #choanoflagellates & #ctenophores as model organisms. Enjoy this beautiful ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi filmed in our facility in Bergen: www.uib.no/en/michaelsa... #evolution #origin #neuron
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
Another key finding of our work is that nervous systems may have became centralized EARLIER than previously assumed 🤩.
We found that the ctenophore aboral organ is tightly associated with a condensed SYNCYTIAL nerve net. See below: comparison of regular vs. condensed nerve net.
We found that the ctenophore aboral organ is tightly associated with a condensed SYNCYTIAL nerve net. See below: comparison of regular vs. condensed nerve net.
August 7, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Another key finding of our work is that nervous systems may have became centralized EARLIER than previously assumed 🤩.
We found that the ctenophore aboral organ is tightly associated with a condensed SYNCYTIAL nerve net. See below: comparison of regular vs. condensed nerve net.
We found that the ctenophore aboral organ is tightly associated with a condensed SYNCYTIAL nerve net. See below: comparison of regular vs. condensed nerve net.
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
The aboral organ of a 1-day-old ctenophore is composed of ca. 900 cells, encompassing 17 distinct cell types 🤩. Below are examples for each cell type.
#cilia #sensory #vesicles #diversity #neuron
#cilia #sensory #vesicles #diversity #neuron
August 7, 2025 at 8:35 AM
The aboral organ of a 1-day-old ctenophore is composed of ca. 900 cells, encompassing 17 distinct cell types 🤩. Below are examples for each cell type.
#cilia #sensory #vesicles #diversity #neuron
#cilia #sensory #vesicles #diversity #neuron
Reposted by Brain Evolution News
13. Gabi et al. 2010, Brain Behav Evol, doi:10.1159/000319872
October 2, 2025 at 10:25 AM
13. Gabi et al. 2010, Brain Behav Evol, doi:10.1159/000319872