NOTCH2NL genes linked to human brain evolution

Researchers have reconstructed the evolutionary history of the NOTCH2NL gene family, which is linked to the expansion of the human cerebral cortex. The study, published in Cell Genomics and led by Taylor D. Real, utilized long-read genomic assemblies from humans and other great apes to analyze complex regions of chromosome 1.

The NOTCH2NL genes originated from duplications of the NOTCH2 gene. While the findings do not suggest that a single gene is responsible for the development of the human brain, they provide significant evidence regarding how specific genetic duplications may have modified brain development regulation throughout human evolution.