Comments on: Speak, Mouse http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/ A blog about life, past and future. Written by DISCOVER contributing editor and columnist Carl Zimmer. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:08:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Romeo Vitelli http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/comment-page-1/#comment-18909 Romeo Vitelli Fri, 29 May 2009 01:54:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/#comment-18909 The capacity for language in humans seems to be linked to the Wernicke's and Broca's areas in the brain. There's even evidence of hemispheric asymmetry in other primates. I'm not sure altering a mouse's biochemistry is going to affect the basic architecture of a mouse's brain to the point of developing actually language centers. The capacity for language in humans seems to be linked to the Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas in the brain. There’s even evidence of hemispheric asymmetry in other primates. I’m not sure altering a mouse’s biochemistry is going to affect the basic architecture of a mouse’s brain to the point of developing actually language centers.

]]> By: Davi http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/comment-page-1/#comment-18908 Davi Thu, 28 May 2009 23:44:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/#comment-18908 "Obviously, mice are no better at singing like birds than they are at talking like us" Following paper might indicate otherwise: Holy TE, Guo Z (2005) Ultrasonic Songs of Male Mice. PLoS Biol 3(12): e386. http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0030386 “Obviously, mice are no better at singing like birds than they are at talking like us”

Following paper might indicate otherwise:

Holy TE, Guo Z (2005) Ultrasonic Songs of Male Mice. PLoS Biol 3(12): e386.
http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0030386

]]> By: Sigmund http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/comment-page-1/#comment-18903 Sigmund Thu, 28 May 2009 21:05:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/#comment-18903 I think we should be very careful with the interpretation of these results. The researchers did not introduce the human gene into mice, they merely changed two amino acids of the mouse gene such that it produces a protein similar to that in humans (there are still a few other different amino acids that are not predicted to be as important as the ones they changed). The really important point to note is that the human gene is over 600 kb in size and contains many human specific regulatory elements (transcription factor binding sites, microRNA target sites, etc) that have not been introduced into the mice in this current experiment. We still do not know what effect the human gene would really have in mice development. It is still technically very difficult to achieve such a germline alteration so I don't fault the authors of this study for not being comprehensive but I think we should realize the limitations of the current study. I think we should be very careful with the interpretation of these results. The researchers did not introduce the human gene into mice, they merely changed two amino acids of the mouse gene such that it produces a protein similar to that in humans (there are still a few other different amino acids that are not predicted to be as important as the ones they changed).
The really important point to note is that the human gene is over 600 kb in size and contains many human specific regulatory elements (transcription factor binding sites, microRNA target sites, etc) that have not been introduced into the mice in this current experiment.
We still do not know what effect the human gene would really have in mice development.
It is still technically very difficult to achieve such a germline alteration so I don’t fault the authors of this study for not being comprehensive but I think we should realize the limitations of the current study.

]]> By: Darwiniana » Genes and evolution http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/comment-page-1/#comment-18901 Darwiniana » Genes and evolution Thu, 28 May 2009 19:12:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/#comment-18901 [...] Speak Mouse [...] [...] Speak Mouse [...]

]]> By: smijer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/comment-page-1/#comment-18899 smijer Thu, 28 May 2009 16:25:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/#comment-18899 What do you mean birds have independently evolved foxp2? That reptiles lack foxp2 altogether? that bird foxp2 resembles human foxp2 more than other primate/basal mammal foxp2? That bird foxp2 differs dramatically from reptile foxp2 similar to the way that human foxp2 is dramatically different from basal mammalian foxp2, but not similar to the human version? What do you mean birds have independently evolved foxp2? That reptiles lack foxp2 altogether? that bird foxp2 resembles human foxp2 more than other primate/basal mammal foxp2? That bird foxp2 differs dramatically from reptile foxp2 similar to the way that human foxp2 is dramatically different from basal mammalian foxp2, but not similar to the human version?

]]> By: David Lewin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/comment-page-1/#comment-18898 David Lewin Thu, 28 May 2009 16:21:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2009/05/28/speak-mouse/#comment-18898 I wonder what the Foxp2 situation is for parrots, especially the African Greys. Birds have a much different higher brain organization than do mammals to get similar control of sound processing and production, if I remember. I wonder what the Foxp2 situation is for parrots, especially the African Greys. Birds have a much different higher brain organization than do mammals to get similar control of sound processing and production, if I remember.

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