Letters from the July 8, 2006, issue of Science News
By Science News
The grammar gene?
While reading that starlings may be capable of discerning grammatical patterns (“Grammar’s for the Birds: Human-only language rule? Tell starlings,” SN: 4/29/06, p. 261), I recalled the FOXP2 gene. The gene seems to be involved in the development of areas of the brain involved in speech in humans. Variants of FOXP2 were found in a family whose members shared a rare speech disorder. In gene comparisons with other species, the highest degree of similarity to humans was found in song-learning birds.