---
title: "Chinese Scientists Gene-Hacked Super Smart Human-Monkey Hybrids"
description: "## Big Brain"
date: "2019-04-10"
modified: "2019-04-10"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chinese-scientists-super-monkeys-human-brain-genes"
categories:
  - "Brain"
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Neuroscience and Brain"
tags:
  - "genetics"
  - "neuroscience"
  - "the digest"
---

# Chinese Scientists Gene-Hacked Super Smart Human-Monkey Hybrids

![Chinese scientists figured out that they could enhance a monkey's intelligence by introducing a single human gene linked to brain development.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/chinese-scientists-super-monkeys-human-brain-genes.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Alexa’s Photos via Pixabay/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Big Brain

For the first time, scientists have used gene-editing techniques to make monkey brains more humanlike.

The monkeys, rhesus macaques, got smarter — they had superior memories to unaltered monkeys, according to [recently-published research](<https://academic.oup.com/nsr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nsr/nwz043/5420749>) that's kicked off a fiery debate among ethicists about how far scientists should be able to take genetic experimentation.

## Cognitive Gap

The team of Chinese scientists edited the human version of a gene called *MCPH1* into the macaques. The new gene made the monkeys' brains develop along a more [human-like timeline](<https://futurism.com/scientist-gene-hacked-babies-boosted-brains>). The gene-hacked monkeys had better reaction times and enhanced short-term memories compared to their unaltered peers, [according to *China Daily*](<http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201904/02/WS5ca31228a3104842260b3fa3.html>).

[](<http://iframe%20width='640'%20height='480'%20frameborder='0'%20allowfullscreen%20src='//player.ooyala.com/static/v4/candidate/latest/skin-plugin/iframe.html?ec=szNzZsaDE6lIqTG8oCjMgh-AgLen3fCx&pbid=5ad1946db28d45cdb4325c91c7751266&pcode=FvbGkyOtJVFD33j_Rd0xPLSo0Jiv'/iframe>)

But not everyone is on board.

"The use of transgenic monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take,” University of Colorado geneticist James Sikela told the *MIT Technology Review*. "It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we can expect to recur as this type of research is pursued."

## Evolutionary Roadmap

Pinpointing the gene's role in intelligence could help scientists understand how humans evolved to be so smart, *MIT Tech* reports.

While altering one gene to enhance memory in some macaques won't throw Darwinism off-kilter — there's no risk of a "Planet of the Apes"-style uprising, yet — it could teach us how humanity became so intelligent and gives us hints as to why.

**READ MORE:** [Chinese scientists have put human brain genes in monkeys—and yes, they may be smarter](<https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613277/chinese-scientists-have-put-human-brain-genes-in-monkeysand-yes-they-may-be-smarter/>) \[*MIT Technology Review*\]

**More on gene editing:** *[Scientist Who Gene-Hacked Babies “Likely” Boosted Their Brainpower](<https://futurism.com/scientist-gene-hacked-babies-boosted-brains>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)