Evolution of cortical intermediate progenitors and Tbr2 gene functions

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To explore the evolutionary origin of mammalian intermediate progenitors, we analyzed progenitor characteristics in non-mammalian pallium. Mammalian intermediate progenitors are Tbr2-positive and undergo mitosis at the basal side of the cortex (basal progenitors: BPs). On the contrary, BPs and Tbr2-positive cells in the developing avian pallium are distinct cell population; the former resemble outer radial glial cells in primates, whereas the latter are post-mitotic neurons. Our results suggest that BPs have independently evolved in mammalian and avian lineages, which provided encephalization in these two amniote groups.