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Published online 11 November 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.1079
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Evolution of a single gene linked to language
Mutations in the FOXP2 gene could help explain why humans can speak but chimps can't.
Two tiny changes in the sequence of one gene could have helped install the mechanisms of speech and language in humans.
In 2001, a gene called FOXP2 was found to underlie a rare inherited speech and language disorder1.
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What if, with a little genetic engineering to modify their FOXP2 protein, we could enable chimps to talk?