A Mutation Gave Humans the Gift of Speech. These Mice Have It, Too.
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Alston’s singing mouse, a small rodent from Central and South America, produces unique, chirp-filled songs lasting up to 16 seconds, using both sonic and ultrasonic sounds without interrupting each other during vocal exchanges.
- Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory discovered that an expansion of existing neural pathways in these mice allowed for their complex vocal repertoire, a mutation similar to one believed to have enabled human language development.
- By comparing the brains of singing mice to closely related non-singing lab mice, scientists identified evolutionary brain changes responsible for their sophisticated communication.
- Experts suggest these findings could have broader implications for understanding vocal turn-taking, learning, and flexibility in other mammals, including bats, primates, and humans.
