The evolutionary expansion of the mammalian neocortex is widely considered to be a basis of increased cognitive abilities. This expansion is a consequence of the enhanced production of neurons during the fetal/embryonic development of the neocortex, which in turn reflects an increased proliferative capacity of neural progenitor cells; in particular basal progenitors (BPs). The remarkable heterogeneity of BP subtypes across mammals, notably their various morphotypes and molecular fingerprints, which has recently been revealed, corroborates the importance of BPs for neocortical expansion. Here, we argue that the morphology of BPs is a key cell biological basis for maintaining their high proliferative capacity and therefore plays crucial roles in the evolutionary expansion of the neocortex.

中文翻译：

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基础祖细胞形态学和新皮质进化

哺乳动物新皮质的进化扩张被广泛认为是认知能力增强的基础。这种扩张是新皮质胎儿/胚胎发育过程中神经元产量增加的结果，这反过来又反映了神经祖细胞增殖能力的增加；特别是基础祖细胞（BPs）。最近发现的 BP 亚型在哺乳动物中的显着异质性，特别是它们的各种形态类型和分子指纹，证实了 BP 对新皮质扩张的重要性。在这里，我们认为 BP 的形态是维持其高增殖能力的关键细胞生物学基础，因此在新皮质的进化扩张中起着至关重要的作用。