We found the gene that made humans smart

Herve Poirier sEditor-in-chief of Science magazine Epsilon Today’s details The latest research on human intelligence conducted by a team of researchers fromMax Planck Institute for the development of science in Germany.

franceinfo: Researchers have just discovered the gene that makes us smarter than chimpanzees. This is it ?

Herve Poirier: yes. The gene in question, all humans have in their genome, but it is not found in any other primates, in any other animal. and the Max Planck Institute researchers In Germany it was a worthwhile experience planet of the apes : They inserted this gene into the genome of chimpanzee stem cells, and then transplanted these cells so that they multiply and turn into neurons.

The result: After two weeks, they saw neurons proliferating abnormally in the chimpanzee’s cortex. They’ve even seen these distinct folds of our brains appear – which are not found in any other animal.

In other words: the gene boosted neuron production. Even better, they took human stem cells and removed this gene. The result: the synthetic micro-veneers no longer have any folds. This gene was identified in 2016, and its effect on neuron number was highlighted in 2020, and this experiment closes the show: this is the master gene of our intelligence.

But how did this gene appear?

in twice. Originally, it was a very general gene, shared by all animals, which was repeated 7-10 million years ago, certainly in Africa, in one of our ancestors. Soon after separating from other primate branches, this gene was found to be a duplicate.

Then, in a second move, still in Africa, this duo mutated: one of its 25,000 letters was poorly copied (by the greatest chance, a C turned into a G). The protein that was then produced increased neuron production. This individual – male or female, hard to say – had headaches? In any case, he knew how to think, feed, seduce and breed better than others.

His clan has grown and proven itself – we are all his ancestors, Neanderthals Understood. And man controlled the whole planet. The history of the world has finally come to an end. Funny story, isn’t it?