PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Did you ever wonder how man developed so much more rapidly than chimpanzees? Why our IQ’s have dramatically improved? It has only been a relatively short time – about six million years – where we have made true separation.

How the human brain and human cognitive abilities evolved in less than six million years has long puzzled scientists.

According to a new study conducted by scientists in China and Germany, a possible explanation might be that activity levels of genes in the human brain during development changed substantially due to a handful of key regulatory molecules called micro RNA’s. These micro RNA’s may have served as catalysts to lead to these changes.

Genetic research is fueling much of this speculation.

Reported By Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio Medical Editor