article epub_ahead yes Irene Varela Martínez author a69b5985-8829-11f0-8fc2-d0af58f64471 Fabrizia Pipicelli author 649134fd-d012-11ed-8f82-db1e5050f9ba Simon Hippenmeyer author 37B36620-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A870000-0003-2279-1061 SiHi department Role of cell lineage in generating cell-type diversity in developing neocortex’ project Stem Cell Modulation in Neural Development and Regeneration/ P05-Molecular Mechanisms of Neural Stem Cell Lineage Progression project The cerebral cortex comprises diverse neuron and glial cell types generated by radial glial progenitors (RGPs) during development. Although RGPs broadly differentiate according to temporally and spatially regulated molecular logics, the lineage hierarchies linking individual progenitors to defined cell (sub)types are not well understood. Clone-resolved transcriptomics, combining molecular barcoding and single-cell RNA sequencing, allow high-resolution lineage tracing at the single-clone/cell level across different species and models. In this mini-review, we synthesize recent advances in this field, uncovering unexpected lineage relationships in the developing brain, with a particular focus on the cerebral cortex. We further highlight new insights into species-specific differences in the developmental programs generating cell-type diversity, linking changes in clonal architecture to lineage diversification during cortical evolution. Elsevier2026 eng 0959-437X 1879-0380 4221483710.1016/j.gde.2026.102487 99 I. Varela Martínez, F. Pipicelli, S. Hippenmeyer, Current Opinion in Genetics and Development 99 (2026). Varela Martínez, I., Pipicelli, F., &#38; Hippenmeyer, S. (2026). Tracing cell lineages in the developing brain: Insights from mosaic analysis and clone-resolved transcriptomics. <i>Current Opinion in Genetics and Development</i>. Elsevier. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2026.102487">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2026.102487</a> Varela Martínez I, Pipicelli F, Hippenmeyer S. 2026. Tracing cell lineages in the developing brain: Insights from mosaic analysis and clone-resolved transcriptomics. Current Opinion in Genetics and Development. 99, 102487. I. Varela Martínez, F. Pipicelli, and S. Hippenmeyer, “Tracing cell lineages in the developing brain: Insights from mosaic analysis and clone-resolved transcriptomics,” <i>Current Opinion in Genetics and Development</i>, vol. 99. Elsevier, 2026. Varela Martínez, Irene, et al. “Tracing Cell Lineages in the Developing Brain: Insights from Mosaic Analysis and Clone-Resolved Transcriptomics.” <i>Current Opinion in Genetics and Development</i>, vol. 99, 102487, Elsevier, 2026, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2026.102487">10.1016/j.gde.2026.102487</a>. Varela Martínez, Irene, Fabrizia Pipicelli, and Simon Hippenmeyer. “Tracing Cell Lineages in the Developing Brain: Insights from Mosaic Analysis and Clone-Resolved Transcriptomics.” <i>Current Opinion in Genetics and Development</i>. Elsevier, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2026.102487">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2026.102487</a>. Varela Martínez I, Pipicelli F, Hippenmeyer S. Tracing cell lineages in the developing brain: Insights from mosaic analysis and clone-resolved transcriptomics. <i>Current Opinion in Genetics and Development</i>. 2026;99. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2026.102487">10.1016/j.gde.2026.102487</a> 219482026-06-07T22:01:35Z2026-06-08T07:42:16Z