Lahn and his colleagues examined two genes, named microcephalin and ASPM, that are connected to brain size. If those genes don't work, babies are born with small brains, called microcephaly.
Using DNA samples from ethnically diverse populations, Lahn's team identified a collection of variations in each gene that occurred with unusually high frequency.
Researchers said the frequency of the variations probably was due to natural selection, where favorable genetic changes gain a foothold and begin to spread.
For the microcephalin gene, the variation arose about 37,000 years ago, about the time period when art, music and tool-making were emerging, Lahn said. For ASPM, the variation arose about 5,800 years ago, roughly correlating with the development of written language, the spread of agriculture and development of cities.
"The genetic evolution of humans in the very recent past might in some ways be linked to the cultural evolution," Lahn said
This is quite interesting, because many thought brain evolved some thoudand years ago and we use same brain since then.
This study shows we are getting smarter, because of brain evolution in recent.
This means we can make us even smarter by modifying "smart genes".
So, I am limited to my own brain? Is it impossible to think as future human?
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