Researchers report that ancient viruses may be to thank for myelin -- and, by extension, our large, complex brains. The team found that a retrovirus-derived genetic element or 'retrotransposon' is essential for myelin production in mammals, amphibians, and fish.
Researchers report that ancient viruses may be to thank for myelin -- and, by extension, our large, complex brains. The team found that a retrovirus-derived genetic element or 'retrotransposon' is essential for myelin production in mammals, amphibians, and fish.
Myelin is a complex, fatty tissue that ensheathes vertebrate nerve axons. It enables rapid impulse conduction without needing to increase axonal diameter, which means nerves can be packed closer together. It also provides metabolic support to nerves, which means nerves can be longer.
"There's been an evolutionary drive to make impulse conduction of our axons quicker because having quicker impulse conduction means you can catch things or flee from things more rapidly," says Franklin.was incorporated once into the ancestor of all jawed vertebrates or whether there were separate retroviral invasions in the different branches.
The discoveries of two new species serve both to underscore the variety of fossils found at the Arkansas site, including dinosaurs, mammals, fish, amphibians and reptiles, and to reinforce the ...
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