Neural progenitors, neurogenesis and the evolution of the neocortex

The neocortex is the seat of higher cognitive functions and, in evolutionary terms, is the youngest part of the mammalian brain. Since its origin, the neocortex has expanded in several mammalian lineages, and this is particularly notable in humans. This expansion reflects an increase in the number of neocortical neurons, which is determined during development and primarily reflects the number of neurogenic divisions of distinct classes of neural progenitor cells. Consequently, the evolutionary expansion of the neocortex and the concomitant increase in the numbers of neurons produced during development entail interspecies differences in neural progenitor biology. Here, we review the diversity of neocortical…

• IM
  International Max Planck Research School for Environmental, Cellular and Molecular Microbiology
• DF
  Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
• TU
  Technische Universität Dresden
• ZF
  Zentrum für Regenerative Therapien Dresden