LINGUIST List 13.2096

Thu Aug 15 2002

Media: BBC Website, "First Lang Gene Discovered"

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

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  • Martin Wynne, "First language gene discovered"

    Message 1: "First language gene discovered"

     Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 15:48:55 +0100
    From: Martin Wynne <martin.wynneota.ahds.ac.uk>
    Subject: "First language gene discovered"


    An article on the BBC website reports claims to have found the language gene. You can read it online at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2192969.stm.

    The journalist seems to me to have confused grammatical and articulatory ability. The article appears to claim that the gene sequence in question controls facial muscles, yet a mistake in this sequence causes agrammaticism.

    The field of linguistics is summarised in the article:

    "Scientists argue that there must be a genetic basis to speech and language.

    It is universal, complex and acquired almost instinctively by children at a young age."

    Discuss! __ Martin Wynne martin.wynneota.ahds.ac.uk Linguistics Officer Oxford Text Archive