Evolution of human-specific cell-cell communication in the brain of anatomically modern human

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07535
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical anthropology
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Hayakawa Toshiyuki 九州大学, 基幹教育院, 准教授 (80418681)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 颯田 葉子 総合研究大学院大学, 先導科学研究科, 教授 (20222010)
• Research Collaborator: Varki Ajit
• Project Period (FY): 2016-10-21 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: ヒトの進化 / 精神機能 / 脳

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been suggested that the human-specific cell-cell communication mediated by Siglec-11 in the brain contributed to the gain of higher mental activity in the human lineage. To gain insight into an adaptive evolution in mental activities of anatomically modern human, the evolution of molecules involved in this human-specific cell-cell communication was examined. As a result, it was found that adaptive evolution began to operate on the human-specific cell-cell communication in East Asian populations about twenty thousand years ago. It is considered that this adaptive evolution has been driven by psychosocial stress due to change of social and cultural environments. The human-specific cell-cell communication might be therefore involved in social and cultural progresses in East Asia.

Free Research Field

自然人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで現生人類の社会や文化の変化・発展と遺伝子の進化との関係はよくわかっていなかった。本研究から得られた知見は、現生人類における社会や文化の変化・発展に、遺伝子レベルでの適応進化が関与していることをはじめて示すものとなる。そして、これまでは人文社会学的な視点で考えられてきた我々の社会・文化の変化・発展の基盤について、自然科学的な視点を新たに提供することで、社会や文化の学際的な理解への第一歩となり、現代の社会や文化の多様性の背景を知り、相互理解を深める糸口となると考えられる。