Researchers have identified the moment in history when the genes that enabled people to think and reason evolved, Science Daily reported Dec. 2.
This point 500 million years ago provided humans’ ability to learn complex skills, analyze situations and have flexibility in the way in which they think. University of Edinburgh’s Professor Seth Grant, who led the research, said, “One of the greatest scientific problems is to explain how intelligence and complex behaviors arose during evolution.”
The research, which is detailed in two papers in Nature Neuroscience, also shows a direct link between the evolution of behavior and brain diseases.
Scientists believe that the same genes that improved mental capacity are also responsible for a number of brain disorders. This works helps to understand the emergence of psychiatric disorders.
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Reported by Hürriyet Daily News