Why Humans Can Talk and Other Apes Can't

Scientists have found out why humans were able to break away from the apes, advance to a significantly greater degree and develop language.

It seems, that basically, it comes down to a duplicated gene SRGAP2, which appeared in our ancestors around 2.5million years ago. This duplication enables greater connections and a brain of greater complexity.

The research published in the journal Cell found that the second copy of the gene caused neurones to develop longer dendrites and this led to a larger brain.

Chimp Does Hamlet Flickr Riley and Amos

Professor Franck Polleux of The Scripps Research Institute in California said that this gene was one of about 30 genes which were duplicated in humans after separating from apes. (actually, Humans are classified in the sub-group primates, known as the Great Apes).

According to research, many genes which are present in humans, are absent in chimpanzees, or vice versa, due to duplications and deletions of gene regions. Since the evolutionary break between humans and chimpanzees, humans have gained 689 genes and lost 86. Chimpanzees have gained 26 genes and lost 729, that are still present in humans.

  (Demuth, J.P., De Bie, T., Stajich, J.E., Cristianini, N. & Hahn, M.W. (2006). The evolution of mammalian gene families. PLoS One 1, e85.


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Young Sherlock Holmes: Death Cloud, by Andrew Lane - Sherlock finds a dead body on the Holmes' estate.