Evolution of genetic networks for human creativity

Abstract

The genetic basis for the emergence of creativity in modern humans remains a mystery despite sequencing the genomes of chimpanzees and Neanderthals, our closest hominid relatives. Data-driven methods allowed us to uncover networks of genes distinguishing the three major systems of modern human personality and adaptability: emotional reactivity, self-control, and self-awareness. Now we have identified which of these genes are present in chimpanzees and Neanderthals. We replicated our findings in separate analyses of three high-coverage genomes of Neanderthals. We found that Neanderthals had nearly the same genes for emotional reactivity as chimpanzees, and they were intermediate between modern humans and chimpanzees in their numbers of genes for both self-control and self-awareness. 95% of the 267 genes we found only in modern humans were not protein-coding, including many long-non-coding RNAs in the self-awareness network. These genes may have arisen by positive selection for the characteristics of human well-being and behavioral modernity, including creativity, prosocial behavior, and healthy longevity. The genes that cluster in association with those found only in modern humans are over-expressed in brain regions involved in human self-awareness and creativity, including late-myelinating and phylogenetically recent regions of neocortex for autobiographical memory in frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, as well as related components of cortico-thalamo-ponto-cerebellar-cortical and cortico-striato-cortical loops. We conclude that modern humans have more than 200 unique non-protein-coding genes regulating co-expression of many more protein-coding genes in coordinated networks that underlie their capacities for self-awareness, creativity, prosocial behavior, and healthy longevity, which are not found in chimpanzees or Neanderthals.

A Psychological Profile of Elite Polish Short Track Athletes: An Analysis of Temperamental Traits and Impulsiveness

“…The profile is complemented well by a constellation of dispositional traits that Cloninger referred to as ‘organized character profiles’ [ 64 , 65 , 66 ]. It could be assumed that athletes with this profile are individualists, who can be high functioning, and who can work effectively with others if achieving an important goal (e.g., sport success) requires cooperation [ 67 ]. This profile is well matched to short track athletes.…”

A Novel Approach to Link Genetics and Human MRI Identifies AKAP7-Dependent Subicular/Prefrontal Functional Connectivity as Altered in Suicidality

“…Other ways of creating a list of genes associated with a phenotype or disease would work similarly. 11 , 12 Below, we describe each step of the pipeline. The code for PGL can be freely accessed ( https://github.com/GuillermoPoblete/PGL ).…”

Advances in Non-Coding RNA Sequencing

“…By analyzing DNA sequencing data from Homo sapiens , Neanderthals and chimpanzees, the authors found that chimpanzees had no lncRNAs amongst the genes that have an association with modern human personality and a much higher proportion of lncRNAs was detected in Homo sapiens compared to Neanderthals. In total, 94% of those genes found only in Homo sapiens were ncRNAs, most being lncRNAs [ 243 ].…”