Humans display increased cognitive abilities compared to other animals, including other primates. This is based on the evolution of our nervous system: its development, its structure, its functioning. Historically, research has focused on the evolution of the cerebral cortex. However, the question of the evolution of other brain regions remains largely unexplored.

There is another structure of the central nervous system, at the back of our brain, for which several cues indicate an evolution in humans on the molecular, anatomical and behavioral scales: the cerebellum. The cerebellum is involved in motor control but also in higher cognitive functions of our species, including language. It is related to motor disorders such as cerebral ataxia, and cognitive and language disorders such as autism spectrum and dyslexia.

Yet, a comprehensive description of the development and properties of cerebellar neurons and circuits in humans is lacking. Furthermore, they have not been compared to the primate species. This lack of knowledge hinders our understanding of the evolution of the human nervous system and its diseases, both motor and cognitive.

The project led by our team aims to identify and study functionally the role of genes and proteins expressed in the human cerebellum, which are not expressed in the cerebellum of other animal species. The working hypothesis is that these genes and proteins modify the development and properties of neurons and neural circuits in humans compared to other primate species.

This approach should reveal new aspects of human brain development and functioning, as well as differences with other primate species. This could lead to the identification of species-specific sensitivities to brain, cognitive and motor disorders.