#  Study Finds That Brain Folds Follow Simple Rules of Growth 

 





December 29, 2025

 

 

     ![Comparison of brain folding in ferret, rhesus macaque and humans](/sites/g/files/omnuum6811/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-01/eLife_Maha%20-%202025.jpg?itok=ardyQIJd) 

**The diversity of the cortical morphologies and developmental processes across species.**

(**b**) Stained sections of mature brain tissue from ferret, rhesus macaque, and human. Scale bar: 10 mm. Adapted from [Noctor, 2016](https://elifesciences.org/articles/107138#bib38). (**c–e**) 3D reconstruction of cortical surfaces of ferret, macaque, and human brains from fetal to adult. (**c**) Ferret: postnatal day 4, 10, 17, and adult maturation ([Barnette et al., 2009](https://elifesciences.org/articles/107138#bib4)). Scale bar: 1 cm; (**d**) Macaque: gestation day 85, 110, 135 ([Liu et al., 2020](https://elifesciences.org/articles/107138#bib33)), and adult maturation ([Calabrese et al., 2015](https://elifesciences.org/articles/107138#bib9)). Scale bar: 1 cm; (**e**) Human: gestation day 175 (week 25), 210 (week 30), 231 (week 33), 273 (week 39), and adult maturation ([Barnette et al., 2009](https://elifesciences.org/articles/107138#bib4)). Scale bar: 5 cm.



 



 

A new study published in [*eLife* ](https://elifesciences.org/articles/107138)suggests that the complex folds of the mammalian brain may arise from surprisingly simple physical principles rather than species-specific genetic programs alone. An international team of researchers including Professor L. Mahadevan, show that mechanical forces generated during brain growth are sufficient to produce the distinctive patterns of cortical folding seen across mammals.

The cerebral cortex — the brain’s outer layer — expands dramatically during early development, forming the ridges and grooves associated with higher cognitive function. To understand how these folds form and why they vary among species, the researchers combined physical experiments, computer simulations, and comparative anatomical analyses.

Using MRI scans of a newborn ferret, a fetal macaque, and a fetal human, the team built two-layer gel models that mimic the growing brain. When the outer layer of the gel swelled, it folded in ways strikingly similar to real brains. The researchers also developed three-dimensional computational models based on differential growth and compared these results with real and experimental brains using geometric morphometrics.

Across all approaches, the findings converged on the same conclusion: cortical folding can be explained by a basic mechanical instability driven by uneven growth. Differences in folding patterns across species, the study suggests, arise from variations in growth rates and initial brain geometry rather than fundamentally different mechanisms.



 

 

 



 

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