Saturday, May 30, 2009

Cheep Wooden Fingerboards

The language gene identification via fingerprint

can talk all the animals? Yes and no.

in genetic research has been discovered a gene FOXP2, which is a key gene for the acquisition and use of Language is. It's not only humans but also in many other animals, including in the mouse and the chimpanzee. In the historical development of this gene changed again in the separation of chimpanzee and human lineages. The code is different though from only two points from that of apes, these two points are, however, be essential for language acquisition.


The gene FOXP2 is considered key gene for the acquisition and use of language, if only because it has been detected among people with speech disorders changes in this gene. FOXP2 is a kind of ECUs: It contains the blueprint for a protein that regulates the activity of many other genes. Experiments this, the chimpanzees were rejected on ethical grounds. Therefore, one is to fall back on the mouse, whose gene is almost identical to the chimpanzee gene.

The transmission seems to work without problems: The mice with the human gene were healthy and their organs showed no abnormalities - apart from the brain. There, the scientists found in a region called the corpus striatum significant differences to the unmodified mice. This brain area plays a key role in controlling movements and is considered crucial for language acquisition in humans. In addition, the genetically modified mice in whimpers slightly different frequencies than their peers, the researchers said. Only one could speculate but only at the effects such changes during human evolution. The altered FOXP2 gene could, however, allows a finer motor control and so have the ability to coordinate the movements of the muscles in the lungs, larynx, tongue and lips deliberately - an essential prerequisite for the acquisition of language.

researchers have reconstructed the larynx of Neanderthal man, and have discovered that he was not able to produce certain vowels that form the basis of our present language. The Neanderthals lived in the Middle Palaeolithic in the period from about 160,000 to at least in front of 30,000, perhaps even 24,000 years ago. Unlike the Neanderthals to modern humans could not produce so-called quantal vowels, the researchers found. These vowels allow the listener to distinguish small variances, such as between the words "ride" and "advised". According to McCarthy, the difference is, although slightly, but he would have limited the power of speech of the Neanderthals.

One possibility is that there will be in the near future talking mice, is not given, as the bony conditions are not met. However, it is quite possible that when the gene remains in the mice that possibly the body of his new opportunities could adapt. Evolution happens slowly, but in leaps. And if it is beneficial for the mouse, they can speak, then uses the nature of this niche.

we wait and see.

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