An international team of scientists, led by the University of Granada (UGR), has identified for the first time a series of 267 genes linked to creativity that differentiate Homo sapiens from Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals) and the chimpanzee. Their study indicates that these genes acted as a “secret weapon” that enabled Homo sapiens to avoid extinction
This major finding, published today in the prestigious journal Molecular Psychiatry(Nature), suggests that these genes played a fundamental role in the evolution of creativity, self-awareness, and cooperative behaviour—all of which gave modern humans a significant advantage over now-extinct hominids by fostering greater resilience to ageing, injury, and disease

Creativity—the “secret weapon” of Homo sapiens—constituted a major advantage over Neanderthals and played an important role in the survival of the human species. This is the finding of an international team of scientists, led by the University of Granada (UGR), which has identified for the first time a series of 267 genes linked to creativity that differentiateHomo sapiens from Neanderthals.

This important scientific finding, published this week in the prestigious journal Molecular Psychiatry (Nature), suggests that it was these genetic differences linked to creativity that enabled Homo sapiens to eventually replace Neanderthals. It was creativity that gave Homo sapiens the edge, above and beyond the purely cognitive level, by facilitating superior adaptation to the environment compared to that of now-extinct hominids and providing greater resilience to ageing, injury, and disease.

The research team comprises Igor Zwir, Coral del Val, Rocío Romero, Javier Arnedo,and Alberto Mesa from the UGR’s Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, the Andalusian Research Institute in Data Science and Computational Intelligence (DaSCI), and the Biohealth Research Institute in Granada (ibs.GRANADA), together with Robert Cloningerof Washington University in St. Louis and colleagues from the Young Finns Study (Finland), the American Museum of Natural History (New York), and the Menninger Clinic (Houston, Texas).

Their findings are the result of an interdisciplinary study that brings together Artificial Intelligence (AI), Molecular Genetics, Neurosciences, Psychology, and Anthropology. This is the fifth consecutive paper published by this research team in one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the area concerned with the human personality.

The 267 genes identified by these scientists as being unique to Homo sapiens are part of a larger group of 972 that are linked to personality in healthy adults and were also discovered by the same authors. In previous studies, they showed that these 972 genes are organized into three dissociable brain networks of personality traits that are responsible for learning and memory.

Evolution of genetic networks

“These networks evolved in stages. The most primitive network emerged among monkeys and apes about 40 million years ago, and is responsible for emotional reactivity—in other words, it regulates impulses, the learning of habits, social attachment, and conflict-resolution,” explain the UGR researchers. Less than 2 million years ago, the second network emerged. This regulates intentional self-control: self-direction and social cooperation for mutual benefit. Finally, about 100,000 years ago, the network relating to creative self-awareness emerged.

The new study that is published this week reveals that the genes of the oldest network, that of emotional reactivity, were almost identical in Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and chimpanzees. By contrast, the genes linked to self-control and self-awareness among Neanderthals were “halfway between” those of chimpanzees and Homo sapiens.

Most of these 267 genes that distinguish modern humans from Neanderthals and chimpanzees are RNA regulatory genes and not protein-coding genes. Almost all of the latter are the same across all three species, and this research shows that what distinguishes them is the regulation of expression of their proteins by genes found exclusively in humans. Using genetic markers, gene-expression data, and integrated brain magnetic resonance imaging based on AI techniques, the scientists were able to identify the regions of the brain in which those genes (and those with which they interacted) were overexpressed. These regions are involved in human self-awareness and creativity, and include the regions that are strongly associated with human well-being and that appeared relatively recently, phylogenetically speaking.

Superior resilience

Furthermore, the authors continue, “thanks to these genes, Homo sapiens enjoyed greater physical fitness than now-extinct hominids, providing them with a superior level of resilience to ageing, injury, and disease.” Using genetic data, the researchers were able to estimate from these genes that the adaptability and well-being of Neanderthals were approximately 60%–70% those of Homo sapiens, meaning that the difference between them in terms of physical fitness was significant.

The findings have far-reaching implications in our understanding of the factors that ultimately enabled Homo sapiens to replace Neanderthals and other species in the geologically-recent past. The authors hypothesize that creativity may have given Homo sapiens selective advantages beyond the purely cognitive realm.

“Living longer and healthier lives may have prolonged the period of learning associated with youth and adolescence, which would facilitate the accumulation of knowledge. This is a remarkable characteristic of behaviourally-modern humans and an important factor in economic and social success,” explain the researchers. Creativity may have encouraged cooperation between individuals in a bid to encourage success among their descendants and their community. This would have set the stage for technological innovation, behavioural flexibility, and openness to exploration, all of which were necessary for Homo sapiens to spread across the world more successfully than other human lineages.

In the five studies published to date by these researchers in Nature, they have found—and verified using multiple data sources—that human behaviour is neither entirely fixed nor solely determined by our genes, but rather is influenced also by multiple interactions with the environment. “We have the capacity to learn and adapt in light of our experience, even to the extent of modifying the expression of our genes. Human creativity, prosociality, and healthy longevity emerged as a response to the need to adapt to the harsh and diverse conditions that reigned between 400,000 and 100,000 years ago,” note the UGR researchers.

This study is just one example of how the use of AI techniques and the entirely bias-free treatment of data can help to solve many puzzles about the evolution of human beings. The results obtained pave the way to the development of new lines of research that can ultimately promote human well-being and help us to adapt creatively in order to overcome critical situations.

Bibliography:

I. Zwir, C. del Val, M. Hintsanen, K.M. Cloninger, R. Romero-Zaliz, A. Mesa, J. Arnedo, R. Salas, G.F. Poblete, E. Raitoharju, O. Raitakari, L. Keltikangas-Järvinen, G. de Erausquin, I. Tattersall, T. Lehtimäki, C.R. Cloninger (2021), “Evolution of Genetic Networks for Human Creativity”, Mol Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01097-y (in press).

Media enquiries:

Igor Zwir
Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Granada
Tel.: +34 958 240468 / +34 618775783 (mobile)
Washington University in St. Louis (USA)
Tel: +1 (314) 368-9394
Email: zwir@decsai.ugr.es / zwir@wustl.edu

Coral del Val Muñoz
Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Granada
Tel.: +34 958 240468 / +34 617532895 (mobile)
Email: C.DelVal@decsai.ugr.es

Comparison between Homo Sapiens and Homo Neanderthalensis

Photos of the researchers responsible for this study:

Photos of the presentation to the media:

Researchers from the University of Granada have used computerized microtomography techniques to perform the first complete reconstruction of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, a tiny insect measuring approximately 3 mm that causes significant damage to citrus fruit crops worldwide 

Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) have made the first anatomical atlas of a tiny insect measuring just 3 mm called Diaphorina citri, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), which responsible for the greatest economic losses in citrus crops worldwide. 

As a pest, Diaphorina citri is very harmful to citrus trees (lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, and kumquats ) due to the bacteria it spreads (Candidatus Liberibacter spp.). These bacteria cause Huanglongbing (HLB) disease (also known as citrus greening disease), considered the most serious bacterial disease affecting citrus fruits, as the bacterial infection causes yield losses, small, bitter, and foul-tasting fruits, and, finally the death of the tree. This translates into annual losses of millions of dollars.  

To date, this species has not been detected in the Iberian Peninsula, although another related species (Trioza erytreae) capable of transmitting the bacteria that cause Huanglongbing has already spread. Diaphorina citri could potentially cause devastating damage to the economy of those Spanish regions with large-scale citrus production, and the relevant authorities must make every effort to avoid the introduction of this insect (or diseased plants) when importing citrus fruits from countries where the disease and this vector species are present. 

The research group, led by Professor Susan J. Brown from Kansas State University, conducted a multidisciplinary macro-project to study the insect, the bacteria it transmits, its effects, and means of control (www.citrusgreening.org).

The US research team approached Javier Alba-Tercedor of the UGR’s Department of Zoology to lead the study of the functional anatomy of the insect using microtomographic techniques. Alba-Tercedor has an extensive track-record in the microtomographic study of insects, and his work (including photos and videos) has received various international awards. Given their spectacular aesthetic qualities, these have also been widely disseminated by the media.

Following a formal agreement between the UGR and Kansas State University, including collaboration with Dr. Wayne Hunter (from the Department of Agriculture in Fort Pierce, Florida), the insects were obtained for the study.

This study forms part of the doctoral thesis of Ignacio Alba-Alejandre (supervised by Alba-Tercedor). A recent article published in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports (by Nature) closes the series of articles providing a highly detailed vision of both the external and the internal structures of this insect.    

This study offers the first complete micro-CT reconstruction of this pest and constitutes a ground-breaking detailed anatomical study of a psyllid as the first anatomical micro-CT study of a hemipteran to be studied in its entirety. And, together with other papers already published by this team from the UGR on the coffee borer beetle, these studies represent the anatomical reconstructions of the smallest insects carried out to date using micro-CT.

Based on the descriptive aspects of the study, the team was able to elucidate the operation of different structures. Among the most noteworthy examples are the male sperm pump—an impellent suction pump that serves to expel sperm—and, similarly, the spermatheca (sac) in which females store sperm. This, too, acts as an impellent suction pump, performing an inward sucking motion, retaining the sperm after copulation, storing and nourishing them, and later, at the point of laying, contracting the walls of the sac to expel the sperm and fertilize the eggs. This mechanism requires a complex series of special valves and muscles.

An articulated reproductive organ

The complexity of the articulated reproductive organ of males is particularly striking, as is the fact that females have a more voluminous nervous system than males. The latter phenomenon undoubtedly occurs because they have to perform more complex vital functions, such as selecting the ideal location for subsequent egg-laying.

Curiously, the hindgut of the female is posteriorly differentiated into a rectum that forms a small rectal ampulla, into which it deposits small amounts of excrement. By contracting the walls of the ampulla, the faeces are violently propelled away from the body, thereby avoiding contact that could contaminate the eggs.

Another interesting discovery to emerge from the analysis carried out at the UGR was that these insects have glands at the base of the legs (coxal glands) and others at the base of the antennae (antennal glands) that produce sex pheromones. Thus, when the insect settles on the leaves, it impregnates them with the secretions of the coxal glands, which also attracts the opposite sex. Once males and females are close to one another, they begin a kind of “dance” in which they touch antennae and, thanks to the secretions of the antennal glands, recognize each other’s sexes.

These are just a few examples of the many discoveries made during the course of the UGR study. In the words of the researchers, “we often feel like true explorers discovering new territories, contemplating structures from never-before-seen perspectives, uncovering previously unknown structures, and deducing the how and why of their function.”

Scientific and aesthetic value

The work has produced numerous plates of figures that, as well as being of great scientific interest, have undoubted aesthetic value. Furthermore, the research team has been able to reconstruct in 3D—for the first time—an adult feeding on the leaf of a citrus fruit, showing how its stylets pierce the walls of the leaf to reach the vessels of the phloem and feed by sucking the sap. They have also produced a 3D model version for mobile devices (tablets and smartphones).

All of this work combined, together with numerous animated videos that enable viewers to see the structures in detail from multiple perspectives, renders this research a unique and extremely useful anatomical atlas not only for the study of this particular species but also for the investigation of insects in general. In addition, its impressive aesthetics make this material ideal for teaching and scientific dissemination purposes.

Bibliography:

ALBA-TERCEDOR, J., HUNTER, W.B. & ALBA-ALEJANDRE, I. (2021) ‘Using micro-computed tomography to reveal the anatomy of adult Diaphorina citri uwayama (Insecta: Hemiptera, Liviidae) and how it pierces and feeds within a citrus leaf’, Sci Rep 11, 1358. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80404-z

The UGR researchers Javier Alba-Tercedor and Ignacio Alba-Alejandre in the laboratory, showing some of the results of the study. Behind, the Skyscan 1172 microtomograph and, on the screens, some microtomographic reconstructions of the anatomy of the Asian citrus psyllid under study

Microtomographic reconstructions showing anatomical details of an adult Asian citrus psyllid. The arrows indicating the structures and the corresponding names have been removed to better appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the images

The insect Diaphorina citri, whose common name is the Asian citrus psyllid (image credit: Wikipedia)

Videos:

Adult digestive and nervous system

An adult feeding on an orange tree leaf

Media enquiries:

Javier Alba-Tercedor

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of GranadaEmail: jalba@ugr.es

Scientists from the University of Granada and the Salamanca-based company Tebrio have used the insect Tenebrio molitor, more commonly known as the mealworm, as a source of antidiabetic peptides

Scientists from the Bioreactors Research Group (BIO-110) of the University of Granada (UGR) have demonstrated that a natural treatment based on flour made from the insect Tenebrio molitor (more commonly known as the mealworm) can help prevent Type II diabetes mellitus.

The researchers successfully obtained and identified peptides (molecules comprising one or more amino acids linked by chemical bonds) that can exert a preventive effect against diabetes from the protein fraction of the insect Tenebrio molitor.

The substrate used was flour from the insect which was donated by the Salamanca-based company Tebrio, a pioneering company in the breeding of insects on an industrial scale in Europe. Insect production is more sustainable and economical than other means of obtaining protein sources and the nutritional value of this source is of interest for its use in human foodstuffs.

Type II diabetes mellitus is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world today, with more than 400 million people affected. The World Health Organization estimates that it was the seventh most-prevalent cause of death in 2016 and that 700 million people may affected by this disease by 2045. The solutions currently applied in its treatment are insulin injections or the oral administration of various drugs that act by inhibiting enzymes such as DPP-IV or glucosidase, or hormone analogues involved in the restoration of insulin activity—a defining characteristic of this disease. However, these options often produce unwanted side-effects in humans.

Antidiabetic effect

The potential use of peptides derived from dietary proteins with the ability to inhibit these enzymes, thereby generating an antidiabetic effect in the patient, is now being actively investigated. Its advantage over current treatments is the absence of side-effects and the relative ease with which these peptides can be obtained using natural protein resources. There are in vivo studies with milk and marine proteins, for example, that show them to be a feasible alternative for use as active ingredients in functional food.

The study carried out at the UGR focused on obtaining peptides with an antidiabetic capacity and involved optimizing the release of peptides contained in the protein of Tenebrio molitor by means of enzymatic processes. The scientists successfully obtained insect protein hydrolysates with bioactivity values comparable to traditional sources, pointing to the possibility of encouraging the production of this type of product from this sustainable protein source. Seven inhibitor peptides of the DPP-IV enzyme were identified, with a mean length of 5 amino acids, and six inhibitor peptides of the glucosidase enzyme, with a mean length of between 2 and 4 amino acids.

The use of insects in functional food is—and will continue to be—a highly-relevant research topic as it offers a potential solution to various challenges that we currently face in society, conclude the UGR researchers.

Images of the insect Tenebrio molitor (commonly known as the mealworm) used in this study

Bibliography:

Rivero-Pino, F., Espejo-Carpio, F.J., & Guadix, E.M. (2020) ‘Antidiabetic Food-Derived Peptides for Functional Feeding: Production, Functionality and In Vivo Evidences’,  Foods 9, 983. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9080983

Rivero-Pino, F., Espejo-Carpio, F. J., Pérez-Gálvez, R., Guadix, A., & Guadix, E. M. (2020) ‘Effect of ultrasound pretreatment and sequential hydrolysis on the production of Tenebrio molitor antidiabetic peptides’, Food and Bioproducts Processing 123, 217–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbp.2020.07.003

Rivero-Pino, F., Pérez-Gálvez, A. R., Espejo-Carpio, F. J., & Guadix, E. M. (2020) ‘Evaluation of Tenebrio Molitor protein as source of peptides modulating physiological processes’, Food & Function 11, 4376–4386. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0FO00734J

Rivero-Pino, F., Guadix, A. & Guadix, E. M. (2021) ‘Identification of novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV and α-glucosidase inhibitory peptides from Tenebrio molitor’, Food & Function 12, 873–880 https://doi.org/10.1039/D0FO02696D

More information can be found at: https://tebrio.com

Media enquiries: 

Fernando Rivero Pino 

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Granada, PhD candidate in the Bioreactors Research Group (BIO-110)

Email: frivero@ugr.es

Emilia M. Guadix 

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Granada, Director of the Bioreactors Research Group (BIO-110)

Email: eguadix@ugr.es

A study carried out by the University of Granada indicates that smoking cannabis significantly alters key visual functions, such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, three-dimensional vision (stereopsis), the ability to focus, and glare sensitivity

Yet, more than 90% of users believe that using cannabis has no effect on their vision, or only a slight effect

A group of researchers from the Department of Optics of the University of Granada (UGR) has studied the effects of smoking cannabis on various visual parameters compared to the effect that the users themselves perceive the drug to have on their vision.

This study, led by Carolina Ortiz Herrera and Rosario González Anera, has been published in the journal Scientific Reports. Its main author, Sonia Ortiz Peregrina, explains that cannabis use is on the rise despite being an illegal drug. According to the national Survey on Alcohol, Drugs and Other Addictions in Spain 2019–2020, cannabis use nationally has increased since 2011, with 37% of Spanish adults having used this drug at some time. Approximately 10% consumed it in the last year.    

In this study, which had the approval of the Human Research Ethics Committee of the UGR (ref. 921/CCEIH/2019), an exhaustive visual trial was conducted on 31 cannabis users, both when they had not consumed any substance in advance and also when they were under the effect of the drug. The researchers also studied the participants’ perception of the visual effects of having consumed this drug.

The results showed that, following consumption, visual aspects such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, three-dimensional vision (stereopsis), the ability to focus, and glare sensitivity significantly worsened. Despite this, not all subjects reported a worsening of their vision after smoking cannabis. Indeed, 30% reported that their vision had not suffered at all, while 65% responded that it had worsened only slightly. The authors note that the visual parameter that could be most strongly linked to users’ perception of the visual effect is contrast sensitivity.

The study found a negative effect on all of the visual parameters evaluated, with the effect of cannabis on some of the parameters being analysed for the first time in this research. These results, together with the lack of awareness that the participants presented about the visual impairment caused by smoking cannabis, indicate the need to carry out awareness-raising campaigns, as this visual deterioration can pose a danger when performing everyday tasks.

Bibliography:

Ortiz-Peregrina, S., Ortiz, C., Casares-López, M. Jiménez, J. R. & Anera, R. G. (2021) ‘Effects of cannabis on visual function and self-perceived visual quality’, Scientific Reports, 11, 1655. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81070-5

The UGR researchers who conducted this study

According to the national Survey on Alcohol, Drugs and Other Addictions in Spain 2019–2020, cannabis use has increased since 2011 in Spain

Media enquiries:

Sonia Ortiz Peregrina

UGR Optics Department

Tel.: +34 958 241925Email: soniaortiz@ugr.es

Researchers from the University of Granada and the “San Cecilio de Granada” Teaching Hospital confirm that endocrine disruptors—chemical substances that may mimic or block the action of hormones—are present in some cosmetic products

The use of some cosmetic and beauty products (such as facemasks, lipsticks, face creams, nail polish, hair dyes, creams, hairspray, and hair mousse) could be related to an increased likelihood of developing endometriosis, due to certain chemical ingredients that  mimic or block the action of hormones (known as endocrine disruptors).

This is one of the conclusions of a study conducted by researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) and the “San Cecilio de Granada” Teaching Hospital, published in the journal Environmental Research. The work forms part of a wider research project called EndEA.   

Endometriosis is a very common gynaecological disease: it is estimated that one in 10 women of reproductive age could suffer from it. It is characterized by abnormal growth of endometrial tissue (which normally lines the inside of the uterus). This tissue extends into various areas of the abdomen and pelvis, causing a wide range of symptoms including intense chronic pain in the pelvic region, intestinal problems, and infertility, notably decreasing the quality of life of these women.

This disease is also notoriously difficult to diagnose (it requires a surgical intervention to definitively confirm it), which can cause a significant delay in diagnosis—estimated at 10 years, on average, from the onset of symptoms. In addition, the lack of a definitive treatment to cure endometriosis makes it a chronic disease that can render daily life a challenge.

The role of hormones

The researchers responsible for this project, the gynaecologist Olga Ocón from the “San Cecilio de Granada” Teaching Hospital and UGR lecturer Francisco Artacho, explain: “Although the exact causes of its appearance are not known, a diverse range of factors are suspected of being involved, including genetic, epigenetic, and environmental causes , with hormones appearing to play a key role.”   

For this reason, the presence of chemical substances, known as endocrine disruptors, in many everyday products is of particular concern. These substances are capable of mimicking or blocking the natural action of hormones and could therefore be contributing to the increase in the number of women diagnosed with endometriosis in recent years, as has been shown for other pathologies such as breast cancer, obesity, or diabetes.

These endocrine disruptors include parabens and benzophenones, both of which are widely used in the cosmetics and beauty products industry and which are part of the so-called “exposome”. This relatively new term encompasses all the non-genetic environmental factors to which human beings are exposed from birth onward that contribute to the risk of illness and disease.

Against this backdrop, these researchers are now studying the role that endocrine disruptors may play in the development of endometriosis. Their work is part of the EndEA research project funded by the “Carlos III Health Institute” (pertaining to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) and the “Antonio Chamorro-Alejandro Otero” Research Chair.

As part of their investigations, the scientists quantified internal levels of parabens and benzophenones among 124 women (with and without endometriosis), from public hospitals in Granada. They also gathered detailed information on each woman’s use of cosmetics and beauty products.

The results obtained, which are part of the doctoral thesis being developed by researcher Francisco M. Peinado, showed a clear link between greater use of various types of cosmetics (facemasks, lipsticks, face creams, footcare products, hair dyes, creams, hairspray, and hair mousse) and higher internal levels of parabens and benzophenones. Ocón and Artacho note that they also found that “the internal levels of some of these endocrine disruptors were related to the risk of endometriosis.”

As Francisco Peinado observes, given its difficult diagnosis and the fact that there is still no treatment that definitively cures endometriosis, it is important to establish preventive measures aimed at reducing exposure to these compounds, by switching to products free from endocrine disruptors or using them less frequently.

These results build on the previous findings published in another recent study by the same researchers, which showed that one specific endocrine disruptor, bisphenol A, could also be involved in the development of this disease.

Bibliography:

F.M. Peinado, O. Ocón-Hernández, L.M. Iribarne-Durán, F. Vela-Soria, A. Ubiña, C. Padilla, J.C. Mora, J. Cardona, J. León, M.F. Fernández, N. Olea, and F. Artacho-Cordón (2020) ‘Cosmetic and personal care product use, urinary levels of parabens and benzophenones, and risk of endometriosis: Results from the EndEA study’, Environmental Research 110342.

Some of the cosmetic products analysed by the scientists in this study

Researchers Francisco M. Peinado (first author of the study, whose doctoral thesis underpins this research) and Luz M. Iribarne, collaborating author

Media enquiries:

Francisco Artacho Cordón

Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine, University of Granada

Tel.: +34 958 249983Email: fartacho@ugr.es

Scientists from the University of Granada have analysed the levels of cortisol (a steroid hormone that is released in response to stress) in the hair of pregnant women in the period spanning from before conception to week 9 of their pregnancy, to determine whether there was any link to the sex of the baby  

A total of 108 women participated in the research from the first weeks of pregnancy to delivery, having recorded their stress levels before, during, and after conception (via the concentration of cortisol in hair) and performed different psychological tests

A study carried out by scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) has revealed that women who experience stress both before becoming pregnant and during conception are almost twice as likely to have a girl as a boy.

Researchers from the Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), the Department of Pharmacology (Faculty of Pharmacy), and the Faculty of Psychology have analysed the levels of cortisol (a steroid hormone that is released in response to stress) in the hair of pregnant women in the period spanning from before conception to week 9 of pregnancy, to determine whether there was any link with the sex of the baby.

A total of 108 women were monitored from the first weeks of pregnancy through to delivery, to record their stress levels before, during, and after conception via the concentration of cortisol in their hair and various psychological tests. The measurement of cortisol in hair samples taken approximately in week 8–10 of pregnancy showed the concentration of cortisol in the pregnant woman for the previous three months (one month per centimetre of hair growth), meaning that it covered the period preceding and after conception. Subsequently, the UGR scientists recorded different variables relating to the birth and the sex of the baby.

María Isabel Peralta Ramírez, the main author of this work and researcher at the UGR’s Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment explains: “The results we found were surprising, as they showed that the women who had given birth to girls presented higher concentrations of hair cortisol in the weeks before, during, and after the point of conception than those who had boys.” In fact, these cortisol concentrations in the hair of mothers who subsequently had girls were almost double those who had boys.  

Consequences of stress

There is ample scientific evidence demonstrating the impact of stress on the mother in the processes of pregnancy, birth, and even infant neurodevelopment. “Specifically, our research group has shown in numerous publications how psychological stress in the mother generates a greater number of psychopathological symptoms during pregnancy, postpartum depression, a greater likelihood of assisted delivery, an increase in the time taken for lactation to commence (lactogenesis), or inferior neurodevelopment of the baby six months after birth,” says Peralta.

All of the existing research tells us about the effect of stress when pregnancy has already occurred. However, few studies have shown the link between stress and the mother-to-be before or during the conception of the baby, the present study being a rare exception. Its findings were recently published in the prestigious Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. 

One possible explanation for the results would be that the activation of the “stress system”—the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland system—which involves an increase in cortisol secretion, modifies the concentrations of sex hormones at the time of conception. However, the mechanisms underlying this modification are not clear, because, on the one hand, there is evidence that testosterone could influence the determination of the baby’s sex, since the higher the levels of prenatal stress, the higher the levels of female testosterone. 

On the other hand, there is scientific evidence that sperm carrying the X chromosome (which determines that the baby will be female) perform better at passing through the cervical mucus in circumstances of adversity. Therefore, due to the hormonal changes associated with stress in the mother, these sperm are more likely to be successful in reaching the egg than sperm carrying the Y chromosome (which determines that the baby will be male).

“There are other possible hypotheses that attempt to explain this phenomenon. Among the strongest theories is the idea that there are more terminations of male foetuses on medical grounds during the first weeks of gestation in situations of severe maternal stress. That said, in light of the design of these studies, it is recommended that the results are corroborated in greater depth,” observes Peralta.

The effect of stress on the foetus

What does appear to be clear— and this has been shown in several studies—is that foetuses are vulnerable to the effect of stress, since it plays a key role in their development. An example of this is the proven fact that male (XY) foetuses mature more slowly than female (XX) foetuses; they tend to be associated with more complications in pregnancy and premature delivery; and, at birth, they are more likely to have shorter telomeres. This renders XY foetuses more vulnerable to adverse prenatal environments, suggesting that women who experience high levels of stress around the time of conception may be less likely to give birth to a boy.

This study was conducted by members of the research group Neuropsychology and Psychoneuroimmunology Applied to Children, Adults and the Elderly. It operates under the auspices of the Framework for R&D Projects granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (ABORSTRESS AND CHILDSTRESS).

Bibliography:

Romero-González, B., Puertas-González, J.A., González-Pérez, R., Dávila, M., & Peralta-Ramirez, M.I. (2021) ‘Hair cortisol levels in pregnancy as a possible determinant of fetal sex: A longitudinal study, Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 7, 1–6.

https://doi.org/10.1017/S2040174420001300

The UGR research team that conducted this study

Media enquiries:

Maria Isabel Peralta Ramírez

Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada  / Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC)

Tel.: +34 655 987 812Email: mperalta@ugr.es

Researchers from the Spanish universities of Granada and Cádiz have used artificial intelligence techniques to analyse the tropes—predictable clichés or motifs—that are used repeatedly in the storylines of films

The scientists analysed a database of more than 25,000 tropes associated with 10,766 films and concluded that it is possible to predict which elements of a film may or may not be well-received by the public

Could the next Hollywood blockbuster be written by a computer? Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) and the University of Cádiz (UCA) have designed the world’s first computer system based on artificial intelligence techniques that can help film scriptwriters create storylines with the best chance of box-office success.

The researchers focused their analysis on the “tropes” of existing films—that is, the commonplace, predictable, and even necessary clichés that repeatedly feature in film plots, based on rhetorical figures. These storytelling devices and conventions enable directors to readily convey scenarios that viewers find easy to recognise.

As tropes are ideas that are employed repeatedly throughout different films or series, it is often said that virtually all storylines have already appeared in the television series “The Simpsons”. This reflection provided the inspiration for the title of the article about this new study, which has just been published in the prestigious journal PLOS ONE: “The Simpsons did it: Exploring the film trope space and its large scale structure”. Its authors are Pablo García-Sánchez and Juan Julián Melero, from the UGR’s Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, and Antonio Vélez and Manuel Jesús Cobo from the Department of Computer Engineering at the University of Cádiz.

Examples of tropes

García-Sánchez, the lead author of the original study, explains: “Some examples of tropes would be the inevitable villain that the heroes must take on in Marvel films; the detective who hands over his badge and gun; the protagonist’s arrival in hell (used in dramas and thrillers such as “Cell 211” or “Below Zero”); the hero’s journey (which dates back thousands of years, such as in Homer’s Odyssey, but also features in films such as “Star Wars”, “The Lord of the Rings”, and “Harry Potter”); or the well-kept secret that is suddenly revealed, disrupting the entire plot of a psychological thriller.”

The researchers devised a methodology to understand how tropes operate, to visually represent how they relate to one another and to different genres, and, above all, to infer which combinations might be the most successful in creative terms. In other words, using artificial intelligence, their study sought to predict which narrative devices or plot twists may or may not work well with audiences.

To achieve this objective, the researchers consulted an online database called TVTropes, which includes more than 25,000 tropes associated with 10,766 films. This platform is continually updated by fans, making it ideal the ideal source of data for the researchers to analyse. Using the free TropeScraper software, developed at the UGR, they scraped or extracted a list of tropes used in the films and then conducted a mapping exercise based on the user rating and popularity (number of votes) for each film, according to the IMDb website.

The network analysis of these tropes (in what the UGR and UCA researchers have dubbed the “troposphere”) was conducted using programmed algorithms to reveal the relationship between the films that share similar tropes and thus build a picture of the existing communities of tropes and communities of films. Using this method, they were able to measure the popularity of the tropes and determine whether they were transversal (general or basic) across all films or highly specific/specialised, and whether they were on the rise (emerging tropes) or, on the contrary, on the decline.

Assisting the creative process

“This research can help film scriptwriters and directors during the creative process. While our system is not yet equipped to write automatically (although that’s our next step), it does provide the resources with which to determine what combination of ideas (tropes) may work best,” notes García-Sánchez.

The inspiration for the study came when the researchers began to question the over-simplicity of the “same old” characters used repeatedly in video games that quickly become boring. García-Sánchez continues: “We began to wonder how we could model the characters in such a way that they would provide a more interesting experience.”

Thanks to the interrelationship between tropes, the films in which they appear, and the ratings given by users to each of these tropes, “depending on the combination and design of the actions based the tropes, we can now broadly ascertain the level of interest each kind of storyline is likely to generate,” explains García-Sánchez.

“For example, some tropes are thematic, so what if we mix tropes that, on the face of it, are very different? What if we were to mix those from science fiction with those that typically appear in musicals in the same film, would that work?” This is just one of the inquiries being conducted by the researchers, who also plan to analyse in more depth which areas of the troposphere receive more attention and are currently enjoying growing success or, conversely, are causing interest to decline.

Using this same procedure, it would also be interesting to study the evolution of tropes in a given genre, country, or decade, and to better understand audience consumption and the viewing public’s interaction with audio-visual productions.

Bibliography:

García-Sánchez, P., Velez-Estevez, A., Julián Merelo, J., & Cobo, M.J. (2021) ‘The Simpsons did it: Exploring the film trope space and its large scale structure’, PLOS ONE 16(3): e0248881. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248881

Image captions:

Pablo García-Sánchez, a researcher at the UGR’s Department of Computer Architecture and Technology and lead author of this study

Tropes are ideas that are employed repeatedly throughout different films or series, hence it is often said that virtually all storylines have already appeared in the television series “The Simpsons”

A “tree” graph showing the relationships between the tropes used in different films

Media enquiries:

Pablo García Sánchez
Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada
Email: pablogarcia@ugr.es