The development of the mammalian neocortex involves rounds of symmetric and asymmetric cell division of neural progenitors to fulfill needs of both self-renewal of progenitors and production of differentiated progenies such as neurons and glia.The machinery for asymmetric cell division is evolutionarily conserved and extensively used in organogenesis and homeostasis of adult tissues.Here we summarize recent progress regarding cellular characteristics of different types of neural progenitors in mammals,highlighting how asymmetric cell division is utilized during cortical development.