The extraordinary evolution of humans is often exemplified by two defining traits: large brains and highly dexterous hands.

Summary: A new study suggests that autism may be linked to the rapid evolution of brain cell types unique to humans.

Globally, autism affects about 1 in 100 children, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.S., the rate is closer to 1 in 31, or 3.2%. That’s far higher than what researchers observe in ...

A paper in Molecular Biology and Evolution finds that the relatively high rate of autism-spectrum disorders in humans is ...

One of the defining features of humans is our brain's remarkable capacity for language, planning, memory, creativity, and more. These abilities stem not just from our large brain size, but also from ...

A new Yale study provides a fuller picture of the genetic changes that shaped the evolution of the human brain, and how the process differed from the evolution of chimpanzees. For the study, published ...

New research has revealed that birds, reptiles, and mammals have developed complex brain circuits independently, despite sharing a common ancestor. These findings challenge the traditional view of ...

For decades, large stretches of human DNA were dismissed as "junk" and considered to serve no real purpose. In a new study published in Cell Genomics, researchers at Lund University in Sweden show ...

At first glance, the human brain might appear to be a marvel of engineering—a seamless interface for sensory input, cognitive control, and motor output. But if you peer beneath its sophisticated ...

New research suggests that the evolution of the human brain may explain why autism is more common in humans than in other ...