2026-09-18 中国科学院（CAS）
＜関連情報＞
- https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research-news/202609/t20260920_1200896.shtml
- https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2026/08/27/JNEUROSCI.0439-26.2026
霊長類における自己処理ネットワークの進化的再編成 Evolutionary Reorganization of the Self-Processing Network Across Primates
Jianxiong Ruan, Chencan Ma, Yicheng Qiao, Xueda Dong, Minghao Qiu, Phillipp Klar, Jianhong Wang, Linzhong Fan, Georg Northoff and Ning Liu
The Journal of Neuroscience Published: September 7, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0439-26.2026
Abstract
Understanding the evolutionary origins of the structural substrates underlying self-processing is central to elucidating the neural basis of human cognition. Although self-related behaviors differ markedly across primates, the extent to which the underlying neural architecture is conserved or reorganized remains unclear. Here, we investigated shared and species-specific characteristics of the self-processing network (SPN) across humans (n = 46, 19 males), chimpanzees (n = 46, 18 males), and macaques (n = 43, 22 males) using a comparative connectomic framework. We mapped a meta-analysis-derived human SPN onto nonhuman primates within a shared homologous connectivity space defined by conserved white-matter tracts. We compared local microstructural properties and gene expression signatures between humans and macaques, and further included chimpanzees as an intermediate evolutionary reference for large-scale structural connectivity. SPN regions exhibited highly similar myelin-sensitive contrast profiles in humans and macaques, accompanied by shared expression patterns of related genes, which were also enriched for human-accelerated brain genes. Large-scale connectivity revealed pronounced species differences, with chimpanzees occupying an intermediate position between humans and macaques. Importantly, evolutionary modifications of the SPN were domain-specific: Interoceptive-processing subnetworks showed greater similarity between macaques and chimpanzees; Exteroceptive-processing subnetworks showed closer correspondence between chimpanzees and humans; and Mental-self-processing subnetworks exhibited greater interspecies differentiation. Moreover, these changes were accompanied by a progressive reorganization of network hubs from insular regions in macaques to cingulate regions in humans. Together, these findings reveal a scale-dependent evolutionary organization of SPN structural substrates and provide a framework for understanding the conservation and reorganization of self-processing architectures across primates.
