The research utilized a combination of methods, including animal experiments with mice and chimpanzee brain organoids, demonstrating the effectiveness of alternative research approaches alongside traditional ones.

The study reveals that one gene boosts the proliferation of brain progenitor cells, while the other aids in their conversion into neuron-producing progenitor cells.

These findings provide valuable insights into the evolutionary history of large brains and may help in understanding developmental disorders and neurological diseases.

Researchers from the German Primate Center and the Max Planck Institute have identified two unique genes that exclusively evolve in humans and significantly influence the development of the human cerebrum.

The German Primate Center focuses on biological and biomedical research involving primates, contributing to various fields including neuroscience and infection research.

Nesil Eşiyok, the study's first author, emphasizes that this research enhances our understanding of brain development and could lead to new therapeutic strategies for brain malformations.

Lead researcher Michael Heide noted that the study's results validate both animal and alternative methods, potentially reducing the need for animal testing in future research.

These genes work in tandem to enhance the multiplication of brain progenitor cells and facilitate their transformation into nerve cell precursors, which is crucial for the evolution of the human brain's size and complexity.

This coordinated gene interaction is believed to be pivotal in the evolutionary expansion of the human brain's size and complexity.

The study was published on March 26, 2025, in the journal Science Advances, titled 'A dyad of human-specific NBPF14 and NOTCH2NLB orchestrates cortical progenitor abundance crucial for human neocortex expansion.'

The findings may also offer insights into the origins of developmental brain disorders and neurological diseases.

Michael Heide noted that the complementary results from different methods reinforce the study's significance and may reduce future reliance on animal testing.