The evolutionary development of language - which is estimated to have begun 100,000 to 50,000 years ago - is the result of two small genetic changes with big physiological results, according to a study published in the journal Nature.
The FOXP2 gene in humans has about 740 units similar to that of chimpanzees, Homo sapiens' closest evolutionary cousin. The human version's primary function is to control 116 additional genes that have evolved as a network to produce language and speech.
Researchers found that not only do the two variations of FOXP2 between humans and chimpanzees look different, but they function differently as well. While all mammals and birds have the FOXP2 gene, the subtle differences - two different units of the gene - have enabled humans to speak and to formulate complex languages.
Scientists hope this discovery will provide insight into language and evolution on the molecular level. Researchers also say the results will provide insight into speech disorders and more complex conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. Oxford researchers initially discovered the FOXP2 gene in 2001 while studying a London family, half of whom had difficulty producing and understanding speech.
Studies since have been conducted, including one in which a German biologist genetically engineered a mouse to carry the human FOXP2 gene. Scientists observed subtle changes in the mouse's communication but concluded that mice are too removed from human phylogeny to offer useful results. At the University of California, Los Angeles, Daniel H. Geschwind more recently placed the chimpanzee FOXP2 gene in laboratory-grown human neurons to confirm that the gene serves as the source of language.
-compiled by Lani Hossain
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