Next stop: Language. The ‘FOXP2’ gene’s journey through time

Authors

  • Adriana Schatton Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany).
  • Constance Scharff Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.7.7248

Keywords:

speech, language, sensory-motor learning, evo-devo, deep homology

Abstract

How did humans evolve language? The fossil record does not yield enough evidence to reconstruct its evolution and animals do not talk. But as the neural and molecular substrates of language are uncovered, their genesis and function can be addressed comparatively in other species. FOXP2 is such a case – a gene with a strong link to language that is also essential for learning in mice, birds and even flies. Comparing the role FOXP2 plays in humans and other animals is starting to reveal common principles that may have provided building blocks for language evolution.

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Author Biographies

Adriana Schatton, Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany).

Pre-doctoral researcher at the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy of the Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany). She is currently researching for her PhD thesis in the group led by Doctor Constance Scharff.

Constance Scharff, Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany).

Full Professor of the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy of the Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität Berlin, Germany). Her research focuses on the neuroethology of vocalisations, stressing the role of the FoxP2 transcription factor. She is the author of many research papers on the topic.

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Published

2017-06-20

How to Cite

Schatton, A., & Scharff, C. (2017). Next stop: Language. The ‘FOXP2’ gene’s journey through time. Metode Science Studies Journal, (7), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.7.7248
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Issue

Unravelling science: Pulling the thread of knowledge (2017)

Section

The secrets of the brain. An evolutionary perspective on neuroscience

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