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Human brain develops from two distinct cell populations, study finds

Stanford University researchers identified separate origins for forebrain and hindbrain, with implications for disease research.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Camera IconBrain on monitor Credit: BANG - Entertainment News

What this story says

  • The human brain develops from two distinct progenitor cell populations, according to Stanford University researchers.
  • The hindbrain controls automatic functions like breathing and heartbeat, while the forebrain and midbrain handle higher-level abilities.
  • Researchers successfully grew functional hindbrain motor neurons in the lab for the first time.
  • The same two-origin pattern was observed in chickens, zebrafish, and acorn worms, suggesting an evolutionary basis.

Who covered it

Left 21%(17)Centre 48%(39)Right 31%(25)

Percentages are shares of the 81 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 63 of the 144 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

50/100

Craft

65/100

Hype

45/100

144 sources · methodology

Scientists at Stanford University have discovered that the human brain originates from two separate populations of progenitor cells. This finding suggests that the brain evolved from two distinct nervous systems that merged over time. The hindbrain is responsible for automatic functions such as breathing and heartbeat, while the forebrain and midbrain manage higher-level cognitive abilities like language and reasoning.

Researchers were able to grow functional hindbrain motor neurons in a laboratory setting for the first time, a feat previously hindered by a lack of understanding of hindbrain development. The study also examined evolutionary history, finding the same two-origin pattern in chickens, zebrafish, and acorn worms, indicating a deep evolutionary root for this developmental process.

Disagreement on evolutionary history

While the Stanford University study suggests the brain evolved from two existing neural systems that were pushed together, the PerthNow report states that these were once separate systems that were eventually brought together through evolution. The Boing Boing report notes that the researchers' findings suggest evolution took two existing neural systems and pushed them together spatially.

Omissions in coverage

None of the right-rated digests mention the successful laboratory growth of functional hindbrain motor neurons. Similarly, none of the right-rated digests detail the study's findings in chickens, zebrafish, and acorn worms, or the evolutionary implications of this discovery.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 22 Sept 2026, 18:30, and will add the sides that appear.

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

17 rated outlets

  • Left-rated reports led on the discovery that the human brain develops from two distinct early cell groups, functioning like adjacent systems. These reports highlighted that the Stanford University breakthrough could open new avenues for research into fatal neurodegenerative diseases. Several left-rated outlets noted the success in growing functional hindbrain motor neurons in the laboratory for the first time, a significant step for studying conditions like ALS and SMA.

Centre

39 rated outlets

  • Centre-rated reports focused on the finding that the human brain consists of two separate nervous systems that merged during evolution. These reports highlighted that the hindbrain controls vital automatic functions like breathing and heartbeat, while the forebrain and midbrain handle higher-level abilities. The potential implications for studying and treating diseases affecting the brain and nervous system were also a common theme.

Right

25 rated outlets

  • Right-rated reports highlighted that the more primitive part of the brain regulates functions like breathing and keeping our heart beating. These reports stated that researchers say the human brain is actually two separate organs. The discovery that the hindbrain controls automatic functions was a consistent point across these outlets.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Human brain develops from two distinct cell populations, study finds?
Of the 81 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 21% are rated left, 48% are rated centre, 31% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 144. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Human brain develops from two distinct cell populations, study finds left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 81 rated outlets on this story, 21% are rated left, 48% are rated centre, 31% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Human brain develops from two distinct cell populations, study finds biased?
Human brain develops from two distinct cell populations, study finds is one event reported by 144 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Human brain develops from two distinct cell populations, study finds?
144 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What is the main finding of the Stanford University study?
The main finding is that the human brain develops from two distinct progenitor cell populations, suggesting it evolved from two separate nervous systems that merged over time. The hindbrain controls automatic functions, while the forebrain and midbrain handle higher-level abilities.
Why is growing hindbrain neurons in the lab significant?
Researchers were able to grow functional hindbrain motor neurons in the lab for the first time. This breakthrough is significant because it was previously difficult to achieve, potentially hindering research into neurological conditions like ALS and SMA.
Does this finding apply to other species?
Yes, the study found the same two-origin pattern in chickens, zebrafish, and acorn worms. This suggests that the evolutionary basis for the brain developing from two distinct cell populations is ancient and conserved across different species.

Read it at the source

144 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

17
Show 9 more

Centre

39
Show 31 more

Right

25
Show 17 more

Not rated

63
Show 55 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Brain Develops From Two Cell Groups | MediaBias News