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Language Development

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.

Genetic Lingo

Genetic Lingo

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

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Related Experiment Video

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Procedure for Adaptive Laboratory Evolution of Microorganisms Using a Chemostat

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Published on: September 20, 2016

Evolution of language: Lessons from the genome.

Simon E Fisher^1,2

¹Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. simon.fisher@mpi.nl.

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

|July 20, 2016

Summary

Researchers are exploring the genetic basis of speech and language, combining molecular neuroscience with ancient hominin genome sequencing. This integrated approach aims to unravel the evolutionary origins of human language capabilities.

Keywords:

Ancient DNA Evolution Genetics and genomics Model systems Speech and language

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Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Procedure for Adaptive Laboratory Evolution of Microorganisms Using a Chemostat

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A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq

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Published on: May 28, 2021

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Genetics
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

The post-genomic era offers new molecular tools to study speech and language.
Investigating the origins of human cognitive traits is becoming empirically testable.

Purpose of the Study:

To discuss promising research lines in the biology of speech and language.
To explore the integration of genetic, neurobiological, and evolutionary data.

Main Methods:

Identifying genes associated with speech and language abilities and disorders.
Utilizing molecular neuroscience and developmental neurobiology tools.
Sequencing ancient hominin genomes to track molecular evolution.

Main Results:

Genes implicated in speech and language provide insights into neural bases and evolution.
Ancient genome sequencing reveals molecular changes during human evolution.
Synthesis of diverse data allows robust evaluation of language evolution theories.

Conclusions:

An integrated approach combining genetics and neuroscience holds potential for understanding human-specific capacities.
Research in speech and language biology is advancing rapidly due to new methodologies.
Despite challenges, this interdisciplinary field promises significant insights into language evolution.