Cebus Apella brain transcriptome: Raw sequence reads. Sapajus apella

Brain expansion is a key characteristic of primate and human evolution. Uncovering the molecular basis of human brain evolution has the potential to identify ways in which our own species is unique. However, human evolution must be considered in a phylogenetic context. Whether adaptations governing brain expansion are shared across primates or have a species-specific origin has yet to be determined. To address this, we sequenced the brain transcriptome of a male capuchin monkey (Cebus apella). We then analysed patterns of molecular evolution across three independent episodes of brain expansion in primates.