and could faster maturation bias earlier detail dominance?

It’s like listening to pure sci-fi

This is great!! I have been thinking about whether LMW-HA might signal through TLR2/4–MyD88 in microglia and shift pruning or ECM timing.

Neural crest cells rely on a HA-rich environment to migrate and shape the face.

Small shifts in turnover timing might help explain the diversity of facial shapes across species.

A tilt toward glycolysis over OXPHOS could support neoteny

I’m exploring this idea and welcome thoughtful critique or pointers to research I might have missed.

If the body turns over hyaluronan more quickly, maturation may speed up instead, leading to fewer neotenous features.
Historically: Life was risky, growing up fast and having many children was a survival strategy.
Today: Life is safer, education lasts longer, and people tend to have fewer children.

I also think this effect may have accelerated in recent generations, with more safety, better nutrition, and fewer early-life diseases. That could help explain shifts in male behaviour and even average testosterone levels.

The hypothesis:
A molecular signal that regulates tissue softness and developmental timing might shape everything from face structure to social behaviour — simply by slowing down the “grow up” switch.

Now imagine if the biological system that keeps tissues soft and youthful in babies stayed active just a little longer.
That could delay maturation, shift behaviour, extend learning, and, over generations, contribute to the more “domesticated” look seen across many animals.