To investigate the genetic factors that drove anthropoid primate evolution, researchers have identified 23,949 anthropoid-specific constrained (ASC) regions in the genome. ASC regions are enriched in loci previously associated with brain development, vision and neurotransmission; notably, almost all of these regions are non-coding. In addition, more than half of the ASC regions are linked to transposable elements, thus providing further clues to the evolution of anthropoid-specific traits.