Conférence - Arnold Kriegstein: Genomic Insights into Cortical Expansion and Language Function

Jean-Jacques Hublin
Chaire Paléoanthropologie
Collège de France
Année 2026-2027

Insights into the Development, Evolution, and Diseases of the Human Neocortex
Conférence - Arnold Kriegstein: Genomic Insights into Cortical Expansion and Language Function

Arnold Kriegstein
Professeur de neurologie, université de Californie, San Francisco

Résumé

Language is a defining human trait, yet the developmental specializations of language-associated cortex remain poorly understood. The neuroanatomic infrastructure underlying language comprises a network of cortical and subcortical regions among which Broca's area, is of central prominence. We define molecular, cellular, and cytoarchitectonic features distinguishing Broca's area. We identify area- and stage-specific cell populations, together with an early cadherin-based molecular code that may guide circuit assembly and we find selective vulnerability of somatostatin interneurons to neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, evolutionary analyses highights genomic specializations underlying linguistic abilities accumulated over millions of years following the divergence of human and chimpanzee lineages.