Finally, we assessed the distribution of haCNSs in modules from our whole cortex network (Fig 3a–c). Only two of the 42 tested modules were enriched for haCNSs: the interneuron-related (C31) and SP-enriched (C16) modules, which both mark processes with features potentially distinct to the human lineage. Interestingly, FOXP2, implicated in the specialization of language areas54, is included in the module C16, and shows enrichment in parietal and temporal lobes including presumptive language areas (Extended Data Fig. 10). No layers other than SP were significantly enriched for haCNSs (data not shown). Together these results support the hypothesis that transcriptional networks underlying the evolution of human neocortex can at least partly be traced to haCNSs.
