The Darwin's Cats project aims to create a comprehensive database of feline behaviors and genetics by collecting fur samples and surveys from cat owners.
New genetic research suggests that humans first developed language around 135,000 years ago, with its widespread social use around 100,000 years ago. This study, using data from 15 genetic studies, indicates that language likely began as a cognitive system before becoming crucial for social communication.
In a recent study by scientists at UC San Francisco, human accelerated regions (HARs) have been identified as crucial to the rapid evolution of human brain complexity, distinguishing us from our closest evolutionary relatives, chimpanzees. These regions, evolving 10 times faster than the typical mammalian rate, enable the formation of intricate neural networks, which support advanced cognitive functions.
A recent study in Frontiers in Neuroscience found that misophonia, a condition where certain sounds trigger intense emotional reactions, shares significant genetic overlap with psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
"A particular genetic locus (rs2937573) was identified as being strongly associated with feeling intense rage triggered by the sound of chewing."
