The Mouse Who Spoke In A Deep Voice

[n2doc]

By Larry Carbone | November 22nd 2009 11:57 AM

FOXP2 is known as “the language gene.” When it goes wrong, as it famously did for a family in England, it can cause severe deficits in language ability. In the “KE family" in England, for instance, several family members carry a defective mutation of the gene and have trouble with grammar and writing, and with making the right face and mouth movements for normal speech. There’s a nice write-up on the gene at “Not Exactly Rocket Science” http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2009/11/revisiting_foxp2_and_the_origins_of_language.php


Now this is unusual for a gene: the protein it codes for in humans differs from the chimp version at only 2 of its 700+ amino acids, while the human version of FOXP2 is near-universal in our species and in Neanderthals. We all share the exact same FOXP2 gene on both of our chromosomes; no variability, no matter the population tested. Outside of the “KE family,” we all carry two identical copies of that gene and apparently we need both for full function. Our human genes for eye color, for hemoglobin structure, for immune function, all have incredible variability within and among populations. To have such uniformity across all human populations tells us this FOXP2 gene must be doing something really significant.



We differ by two amino acids from ape and monkey FOXP2, and by only 3 amino acids from mice. While people make much of how much of our genome we share with chimps, it’s obvious that the genes that differ do make us very different in some important ways. Imagine if this were THE gene for language, if those two amino acids were what made our lives so very different from theirs.

more:
http://www.scientificblogging.com/mouse_n_monkey_vet/mouse_who_spoke_deep_voice

[mike_c]

1. but FOXP2 is a regulatory gene...

...so even though it is EXTREMELY highly conserved itself, there is likely considerable difference between the genes it regulates in different organisms. I believe there are over 100 difference known in chimps and humans, for instance, and the full regulatory suite of genes is not yet known for either.