Positive selection at the ASPM gene coincides with brain size enlargements in cetaceans
نویسندگان
چکیده
منابع مشابه
Positive selection at the ASPM gene coincides with brain size enlargements in cetaceans.
The enlargement of cetacean brain size represents an enigmatic event in mammalian evolution, yet its genetic basis remains poorly explored. One candidate gene associated with brain size evolution is the abnormal spindle-like microcephaly associated (ASPM), as mutations in this gene cause severe reductions in the cortical size of humans. Here, we investigated the ASPM gene in representative ceta...
متن کاملPositive selection in ASPM is correlated with cerebral cortex evolution across primates but not with whole-brain size.
The rapid increase of brain size is a key event in human evolution. Abnormal spindle-like microcephaly associated (ASPM) is discussed as a major candidate gene for explaining the exceptionally large brain in humans but ASPM's role remains controversial. Here we use codon-specific models and a comparative approach to test this candidate gene that was initially identified in Homo-chimp comparison...
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We test the longstanding hypothesis, known as the dive constraint hypothesis, that the oxygenation demands of diving pose a constraint on aquatic mammal brain size.Using a sample of 23 cetacean species we examine the relationship among six different measures of relative brain size, body size, and maximum diving duration. Unlike previous tests we include body size as a covariate and perform inde...
متن کاملAccelerated Evolution of the ASPM Gene Controlling Brain Size Begins Prior to Human Brain Expansion
Primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global reduction in cerebral cortical volume. The microcephalic brain has a volume comparable to that of early hominids, raising the possibility that some MCPH genes may have been evolutionary targets in the expansion of the cerebral cortex in mammals and especially primates. Mutations in ASPM, which encodes the human...
متن کاملEvolution of the human ASPM gene, a major determinant of brain size.
The size of human brain tripled over a period of approximately 2 million years (MY) that ended 0.2-0.4 MY ago. This evolutionary expansion is believed to be important to the emergence of human language and other high-order cognitive functions, yet its genetic basis remains unknown. An evolutionary analysis of genes controlling brain development may shed light on it. ASPM (abnormal spindle-like ...
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ژورنال
عنوان ژورنال: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
سال: 2012
ISSN: 0962-8452,1471-2954
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1729