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brainevolutionnews.bsky.social
Brain Evolution News
@brainevolutionnews.bsky.social
590 followers 1.3K following 17 posts
Brain Evolution in the News posted here for you! For events & opportunities in brain evolution research follow @EurNetBrainEvoR.bsky.social http://brainevolutionnews.blogspot.com
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
13. Gabi et al. 2010, Brain Behav Evol, doi:10.1159/000319872
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
9. Cunha et al. 2022, Front Neuroanat, doi:10.3389/fnana.2022.1048261
10. Teles et al. 2012, J Comp Physiol A, doi:10.1007/s00359-012-0721-6
11. Zupanc 1999, J Exp Biol, doi:10.1242/jeb.202.10.1435
12. Zupanc 2021, J Exp Biol, doi:10.1242/jeb.226357
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
5. Olkowicz et al. 2016, PNAS, doi:10.1073/pnas.1517131113
6. Kverková et al. 2022, PNAS, doi:10.1073/pnas.2121624119
7. Herculano-Houzel et al. 2011, Brain Behav Evol, doi:10.1159/000330825
8. Herculano-Houzel et al. 2015, Front Neuroanat, doi:10.3389/fnana.2015.00064
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
Bibliography:

1. Jerison 1973, Evolution of the Brain and Intelligence, Academic Press
2. Marhounová et al. 2019, Evolution, doi:10.1111/evo.13805
3. Herculano-Houzel et al. 2007, PNAS, doi:10.1073/pnas.0611396104
4. Herculano-Houzel et al. 2014, Front Neuroanat, doi:10.3389/fnana.2014.00077
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
Over generations, step changes → cohorts diverge in brain, body & neuron number.
Some clades (primates, parrots, songbirds) evolve bigger brains with more neurons; others (rodents, sauropsids, mammals) grow brains faster than neurons → lower density 3-6,13.
👉 Plasticity drives brain diversity.
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
Across cohorts (different densities):
🐟 Larger fish → larger brains with up to 20× more neurons.
Neuron density = constant or decreasing.
📐 This mirrors well-known interspecies scaling patterns, even though all fish came from the same stock.
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
Reaction norm model:
🌍 Environmental step changes (like density) shift whole cohorts into new scaling regimes.
🧬 Within a cohort, individual-level factors (genetics, epigenetics, microenvironment) decouple body, brain, and neuron numbers.
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Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
This pattern contradicts the “numerical matching” hypothesis, which predicts body, brain, and neuron number should always scale together 11, 12.
Instead, brain size and neuron number may be regulated by different mechanisms.
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
Within a cohort (same density):
🐟 Larger fish → larger brains, but not more neurons.
Animals with more neurons had higher neuron density instead.
⚡ This extends to fish the brain-scaling pattern seen within individuals of the same species in rodents and birds.
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
Across vertebrates, bigger species → bigger brains with more neurons 1-6.
But within a species, this often breaks down 3,7-9.
Tilapia are ideal to test: they keep growing + have adult neurogenesis 10.
Researchers raised them at low vs. high density → up to 30× body size variation in same-age fish.
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · 7d
🚨 New in J. Comp. Neurology: "Larger Fish Have Larger Brains With More Neurons Across but Not Within Cohorts Raised in Different Growth Conditions" 🐟🧠

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/cne....

#Neuroscience #BrainEvolution #ComparativeNeurobiology #Fish #Plasticity
Larger Fish Have Larger Brains With More Neurons Across but Not Within Cohorts Raised in Different Growth Conditions
Teles et al. propose a model of brain evolution that explains how come fish with larger bodies have larger brains with more neurons across cohorts raised in different growth conditions, while individ....
doi.org
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brainbyana.bsky.social
Ana Martínez Gómez @brainbyana.bsky.social · Sep 3
Here’s the first paper I contributed to: “Expression of SATB1 and SATB2 in the brain of bony fishes: what fish reveal about evolution”
DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s004...
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avsp.bsky.social
Auditory-Visual Speech Association (AVISA) @avsp.bsky.social · Nov 19
Stabilizing selection in an identified multisensory neuron in blind cavefish www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... "The most striking aspect, and potentially warning for the study of the evolution of neuronal cell types, is how clearly all predictions failed"
Picture of A. mexicanus and Astyanax aeneus
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us.theconversation.com
The Conversation U.S. @us.theconversation.com · 13d
𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘰 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴, nicknamed "Hobbits," challenges theories about human brain evolution. These 3-foot-tall ancient relatives had small brains but were likely highly capable, crafting tools and hunting pygmy elephants.
Hobbits of Flores evolved to be small by slowing down growth during childhood, new research on teeth and brain size suggests
New research on the size relationship between brains and wisdom teeth suggests that bigger brains aren’t necessarily the driving force in human evolution.
buff.ly
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suelkeekim.bsky.social
Suel-Kee Kim @suelkeekim.bsky.social · 29d
Excited to share our recent study on human-specific features of the cerebellum and the unexpected, novel role of zona pellucida protein 2 (ZP2) in synapse development. Grateful to the Sestan lab and all our collaborators for their outstanding contributions. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Human-specific features of the cerebellum and ZP2-regulated synapse development
Understanding the unique features of the human brain compared to non-human primates has long intrigued humankind. The cerebellum refines motor coordination and cognitive functions, contributing to the...
www.biorxiv.org
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maxfarnworth.bsky.social
Max Farnworth @maxfarnworth.bsky.social · 9d
Together with my other wonderful 2025 PI fellows @biologists.bsky.social @dev-journal.bsky.social, I offer a perspective about the future of my respective field. Have a read - spoiler alert: its about brain evolution and neural lineages (I know - SHOCKER).

journals.biologists.com/dev/article/...
Pathway to Independence: a forecast for the future of developmental biology
ABSTRACT. In 2022, Development launched its Pathway to Independence (PI) programme, aimed at supporting postdocs as they transition to their first independent position. In 2025, we welcome our third c...
journals.biologists.com
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paleotesla.bsky.social
Dr. Tesla Monson @paleotesla.bsky.social · 13d
New pop sci article on the hobbits of Flores! Their wisdom teeth provide evidence that they got small by slowing growth after birth.

https://theconversation.com/hobbits-of-flores-evolved-to-be-small-by-slowing-down-growth-during-childhood-new-research-on-teeth-and-brain-size-suggests-261257
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neuroecologylab.bsky.social
NeuroecologyLab @neuroecologylab.bsky.social · 9d
Great to see this article on Kamilla's amazing work!
brainevolutionnews.bsky.social
Brain Evolution News @brainevolutionnews.bsky.social · 9d
'Give me the head!' Neuroscientist inspires whale and dolphin research in Brazil
www.npr.org/2025/02/15/n...
'Give me the head!' Neuroscientist inspires whale and dolphin research in Brazil
Time is of the essence for a Brazilian neuroscientist who wants to study whale and dolphin brains before the brains decompose in the heat.
www.npr.org
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brainevolutionnews.bsky.social
Brain Evolution News @brainevolutionnews.bsky.social · 9d
'Give me the head!' Neuroscientist inspires whale and dolphin research in Brazil
www.npr.org/2025/02/15/n...
'Give me the head!' Neuroscientist inspires whale and dolphin research in Brazil
Time is of the essence for a Brazilian neuroscientist who wants to study whale and dolphin brains before the brains decompose in the heat.
www.npr.org
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mu-peter.bsky.social
MU-Peter Shimon 🀄️ @mu-peter.bsky.social · Sep 4
As the saying goes
The bigger the thumb, the bigger the...um... brain

Human dexterity and brains evolved hand in hand 🏺🧪
www.nature.com/articles/s42...

Emphasizes role of manipulative abilities in brain evolution and reveals how neural and bodily adaptations are interconnected in primate evolution
Data and potential scenarios for the coevolutionary relationship between thumb length and brain size across primates.
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bendeskylab.com
Andres Bendesky @bendeskylab.com · Sep 8
New review on how changes in cell type composition in and outside the brain contribute to the evolution of behavior. 🧪

authors.elsevier.com/a/1lihM,LqAZ...
Changes in cell type composition, including cell expansions, cell losses, and novel cell gains, are associated with the evolution of specific behaviors. Figure credit: Matteo Farinella.
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tibbe-evolneuro.bsky.social
The Integrative Biology of Brain Evolution (TIBBE)- Network @tibbe-evolneuro.bsky.social · 28d
Paul Katz on recognizing neuronal homologues across species in the Evolution of Brain Cell Types seminar.
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pawelburkhardt.bsky.social
Pawel Burkhardt @pawelburkhardt.bsky.social · 29d
Our lab is 2.5 years into #ERC funding✨

Grateful for the support that enabled us to uncover the syncytial nerve net in a ctenophore - a discovery reshaping our understanding of nervous system evolution. Stay tuned for more exciting discoveries to come @erc.europa.eu

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DAE...
Flying into sensory and mesogleal neurons from a ctenophore (comb jelly).
YouTube video by Pawel Burkhardt
www.youtube.com
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alealisousa.bsky.social
Alexandra A. de Sousa @alealisousa.bsky.social · 29d
Let's start a conversation about brain evolution!
tibbe-evolneuro.bsky.social
The Integrative Biology of Brain Evolution (TIBBE)- Network @tibbe-evolneuro.bsky.social · 29d
We invite you to connect with the TIBBE community on Mattermost, an open-source platform for real-time discussion and collaboration. This is a great space to share ideas, ask questions, and engage in conversations around the Integrative Biology of Brain Evolution.

tibbe-network.github.io
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tibbe-evolneuro.bsky.social
The Integrative Biology of Brain Evolution (TIBBE)- Network @tibbe-evolneuro.bsky.social · 28d
Maria Antonietta Tosches on Cajal-Retzius cells and the evolution of homologous cell types in the Evolution of Brain Cell Types seminar.
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