In the past decade, there has been monumental progress in our understanding of the neurobiological basis of sensitive periods. Little is known, however, about the evolution of sensitive periods. Recent studies have started to address this gap. Biologists have built mathematical models exploring the environmental conditions in which sensitive periods are likely to evolve. These models investigate how mechanisms of plasticity can respond optimally to experience during an individual’s lifetime. This paper discusses the central tenets, insights, and predictions of these models, in relation to empirical work on humans and other animals. We also discuss which future models are needed to improve the bridge between theory and data, advancing their synergy. Our paper is written in an accessible manner and for a broad audience. We hope our work will contribute to recently emerging connections between the fields of developmental neuroscience and evolutionary biology.

在过去的十年中，我们对敏感期的神经生物学基础的理解取得了巨大的进展。然而，人们对敏感期的演变知之甚少。最近的研究已经开始解决这一差距。生物学家建立了数学模型，探索敏感期可能演变的环境条件。这些模型研究可塑性机制如何对个人一生中的经历做出最佳反应。本文讨论了这些模型与人类和其他动物的实证研究相关的中心原则、见解和预测。我们还讨论了未来需要哪些模型来改善理论和数据之间的桥梁，促进它们的协同作用。我们的论文以易于理解的方式撰写，适合广大读者。我们希望我们的工作能够为发育神经科学和进化生物学领域之间最近出现的联系做出贡献。