Kinesin Motors and the Evolution of Intelligence

TL;DR

This paper presents molecular evidence linking kinesin motor evolution, specifically Kif14, to potential enhancements in neural network function related to intelligence, using hydropathic scale analysis across multiple species.

Contribution

It introduces a novel fractal-based hydropathic scale to analyze kinesin sequences, suggesting evolutionary adaptations that may influence neural network development.

Findings

Kif14 shows unique hydrophobic features across species.

A new fractal hydropathic scale correlates with neural network evolution.

Sequence analysis indicates possible molecular basis for intelligence evolution.

Abstract

Intelligence is often discussed in terms of neural networks in the cerebral cortex, whose evolution has presumably been influenced by Darwinian selection. Here we present molecular evidence that one of the many kinesin motors, Kif14, has evolved to exhibit special features in its amino acid sequence that could have evolved to improve neural networks. The improvement is quantified by comparison of Kif14 sequences for 12 species. The special feature is level sets of hydrophobic extrema in water wave profiles based on several hydropathic scales. The most effective scale is a new one based on fractals, indicative of approach of globular curvatures to self-organized criticality.