WASHINGTON: A new research by George Washington University has found that anatomy of chimp’s brain is directed by genetics, but in human beings it is plasticity. The main aim of the study was to know what makes human brain different from that of chimps.
In the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers have assessed the brains of 218 humans and 206 chimpanzees. To assess the brains, the researchers have taken help of MRI scans through which comparative analysis was done to find out makes humans so adjusting to different environments and cultures.
As mentioned above, the anatomy of humans is dictated by its plasticity, which is more prone to external influences like environmental and social interactions. Human brains have more plasticity owing to which humans can easily adapt to environmental changes.
Though humans and chimpanzees have similar brain volume, they have different structures. In comparison to chimpanzees, human are born with less developed brains. But as humans grow, brain’s plasticity allows it grow later with advancement in age.
In fact, it is a blessing in disguise to be born with less developed brains as it will grow and adapt through learning experiences. Study’s lead researcher Aida Gómez-Robles from the George Washington University said, “We found that the anatomy of the chimpanzee brain is more strongly controlled by genes than that of human brains, suggesting the human brain is extensively shaped by its environment no matter its genetics”.
