# An ancient virus in chimpanzee DNA switches off a gene that is active in humans

- Source: Phys.org
- Published: 2026-10-23T18:00:26+00:00
- Category: Science
- Original: https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ancient-virus-chimpanzee-dna-gene.html
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/an-ancient-virus-in-chimpanzee-dna-switches-off-a-gene-that-is-active--1cd806/

Humans and chimpanzees share almost all their genes. Despite this, our brains have developed in different ways. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now shown that a viral pandemic dating back several million years is likely to be part of the explanation.

_Ground Level News shows a short summary only; the full article and all rights belong to Phys.org._