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Researchers have pinpointed a specific gene that they believe might be linked to the early development of spoken language, crucial for human beings’ survival.

Communication through speech enabled us to disseminate information, synchronize our actions, and transmit knowledge across generations, providing us with an advantage over vanished relatives such as Neanderthals and Denisovans.

The latest research, published in the

journal Nature Communications

suggests that a specific protein variation present exclusively in humans might have enabled our capacity for communication through new methods.

According to Liza Finestack from the University of Minnesota in the United States, who wasnโ€™t part of this study, itโ€™s “a positive initial move towards examining particular genes” that could influence the growth of speech and language skills.

What researchers discover might one day even assist individuals with speech difficulties.

The genetic variation being studied was among several genes โ€œthat played a role in the rise of Homo sapiens as the predominant species, which we are now,โ€ explained Dr. Robert Darnell, an author of the research paper.

Darnell has been researching the protein named NOVA1, which plays a vital role in brain development, since the early 1990s.

To stay current with their findings, researchers from his laboratory at New Yorkโ€™s Rockefeller University utilized CRISPR gene-editing technology to substitute the NOVA1 protein present in mice with its uniquely human counterpart, aiming to observe the practical implications of this genetic alteration.

Much to their astonishment, it altered how the creatures communicated vocally with one another.

The baby mice possessing the human variation produced distinct squeaks compared to their regular siblings whenever their mother was nearby. In contrast, adult male mice with this variant emitted different chirps from those of typical males upon spotting a sexually receptive female.

Darnell mentioned that both scenarios encourage mice to vocalize, but “they communicated distinctively” when exposed to the human version, highlighting its impact on their speech patterns.


History of speech along with genetics

Itโ€™s not the first instance where a gene has been associated with speech. Back in 2001, researchers from Britain claimed they found the initial gene connected to a language and speech impairment.

Known as FOXP2, this gene was dubbed the human language gene. However, although FOXP2 plays a role in human speech, it became clear that the version present in contemporary humans isnโ€™t exclusive to our species. Subsequent studies revealed that Neanderthals also possessed this same variant.

According to Darnell, the NOVA1 variant in contemporary humans is solely present in our species.

Having a specific gene variation is not the sole factor enabling individuals to talk. This capability also relies on various physical attributes within the human vocal tract and particular regions of the brain that collaborate to facilitate speech and linguistic comprehension.

Darnell wishes that the recent efforts will aid individuals in gaining deeper insights into their roots and might ultimately contribute to developing innovative methods for addressing issues related to speech.

Finestack suggested that it’s quite possible future genetic discoveries could enable researchers to identify at an early age those who may require speech and language therapy.

โ€œThat could definitely be the case,โ€ she remarked.


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