Complex wiring key to brain's evolution; researchers

by Rich Bowden - Jun 9 2008, 19:59

Articles - RichThe evolution of the brain towards that of a higher intelligence was driven as much by its complex wiring as to its increase in size, say British researchers. $British scientists have linked evolutionary intelligence as much to the brain\'s complex wiring as to its size. Image: Human Brain. Credit: writerhound/wikipedia$

British scientists have linked evolutionary intelligence as much to the brain\'s complex wiring as to its size. Image: Human Brain. Credit: writerhound/wikipedia

Scientists from Cambridge University's Sanger Institute and the universities of Keele and Edinburgh, focused on the evolutionary role of the synapses, the brain's nerve junctions which transfer electrical signals -- and information -- from one brain cell to the next via a series of biochemical switches.Previous research had assumed synapses to be fairly similar in all forms of life, with brain size being the determining factor in intelligence. However the recent study, published in Nature Neuroscience, went against this prevailing wisdom.Professor Seth Grant, one of those leading the study, said: "Our simple view that 'more nerves' is sufficient to explain more brain power is simply not supported by our study.""The number and complexity of proteins in the synapse first exploded when multicellular animals emerged, some billion years ago. A second wave occurred with the appearance of vertebrates, perhaps 500 million years ago," he said.Prof. Grant said the research gave an important insight, not only into the evolution of the brain, but also the evolution of human beings as a whole."We are one step closer to understanding the logic behind the complexity of human brains," he said.Fellow researcher Dr Richard Emes, a lecturer in bioinformatics at Keele University, added: "It is amazing how a process of Darwinian evolution by tinkering and improvement has generated, from a collection of sensory proteins in yeast, the complex synapse of mammals associated with learning and cognition."

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