Alagoez, G. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2023

The shared genetic architecture and evolution of human language and musical rhythm

Rhythm and language-related traits are phenotypically correlated, but their genetic overlap is largely unknown. Here, we leveraged two large-scale genome-wide association studies performed to shed light on the shared genetics of rhythm (N=606,825) and dyslexia (N=1,138,870). Our results reveal an intricate shared genetic and neurobiological architecture, and lay groundwork for resolving longstanding debates about the potential co-evolution of human language and musical traits.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2023

Neuroimaging genomics as a window into the evolution of human sulcal organization

Primate brain evolution has involved prominent expansions of the cerebral cortex, with largest effects observed in the human lineage. Such expansions were accompanied by fine-grained anatomical alterations, including increased cortical folding. However, the molecular bases of evolutionary alterations in human sulcal organisation are not yet well understood. Here, we integrated data from recently completed large-scale neuroimaging genetic analyses with annotations of the human genome relevant to various periods and events in our evolutionary history. These analyses identified single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) heritability enrichments in foetal brain human-gained enhancer elements for a number of sulcal structures, including the central sulcus, which is implicated in human hand dexterity. We zeroed-in on a genomic region which harbours DNA variants associated with left central sulcus shape, a human-gained enhancer element, and genetic loci involved in neurogenesis including ZIC4, to illustrate the value of this approach for probing the complex factors contributing to human sulcal evolution.

neuroscience↗