Science

An ancient virus in chimpanzee DNA switches off a gene that is active in humans

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 23/10/2026, 18:10:24 UTC.

Briefings

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden propose that an ancient viral pandemic from several million years ago may explain why human and chimpanzee brains evolved differently, even though they share nearly all genes. The study suggests this viral event could have triggered the switch that turned off a gene active in humans but not in chimpanzees.

Key points

• A viral pandemic dating back several million years is proposed as a cause for the divergence in human and chimpanzee brain development.
• Researchers at Lund University in Sweden conducted the study, though specific viral strain details or exact dates of the pandemic are not provided in the evidence.

Context

This research addresses a long-standing biological puzzle: despite high genetic similarity between humans and chimpanzees, their brains have diverged significantly. The study offers a potential evolutionary explanation involving a historical viral event.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to a single study from Lund University. Specific details about the viral pandemic's timeline, exact number of years, or the precise mechanism of the gene switch remain unknown.

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