As a writer, I've had a long-standing interest in language and the nature of human communication. A new study about the so-called "language gene", FOXP2, and its function in singing mice holds clues for what neural circuits are important for human language.

From the Scientific American article:

In 2001 Cecilia S. L. Lai and colleagues at the University of Oxford identified FOXP2 as the first gene specifically involved in speech and language development in humans. The gene was discovered when researchers began studying members of a family that exhibited severe language deficits: they struggled to speak in grammatically correct sentences and often failed to comprehend the language of others, although they demonstrated no other cognitive handicaps. A genetic analysis of the family linked these severe linguistic deficits to a mutation in the FOXP2 gene. Interestingly, the FOXP2 gene is highly conserved among vertebrates, including humans, songbirds, bats and rodents, perhaps indicating a shared function. Experimental evidence from a variety of animals suggests a general role in communication for FOXP2. For instance, mice that lack the gene produce abnormal ultrasonic vocalizations, while the expression of the gene changes in the brains of songbirds during vocal learning.

Mice have been especially useful models in elucidating the role of FOXP2 in communication and fine motor development. While this might seem paradoxical (rodents don’t talk, so how can they teach us about speech?) mice have several important advantages. As mammals, they share many aspects of anatomy with humans and their entire genome has been sequenced. Multiple experimental techniques are easily employed with mice, including various genetic manipulations and behavioral assays. The recent discovery that male mice produce ultrasonic songs only adds to their attractiveness as a behaviorally relevant model for vocal communication.

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Read the full article in Scientific American here.