Zhu, Y. et al. Science 362, eaat8077 (2018)

The nervous system of a macaque is more closely related to a human’s than that of a mouse. Despite the similarities, nonhuman primates are not human. A new study provides a new resource that measures both convergence and divergence between macaque and man as their brains develop.

The researchers recorded single-cell transcriptome data at in several different tissues at several developmental time points for each species, as well as in samples from chimpanzees. They then developed an algorithm to analyze transcriptomic signatures over time. Their results suggest divergence is greatest during prenatal development and after adolescence. They also observe a number of temporal and spatial differences in the human brain that may underpin a variety of neurological and psychiatric diseases.