Whitechapel - Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? Thu, 23 May 2013 18:58:06 -0700 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/ Lussumo Vanilla 1.1.4 & Feed Publisher Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201079#Comment_201079 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201079#Comment_201079 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:12:50 -0800 Remedy Loame
But I was just now doodling around looking at news and stumbled upon this article.

A mouse that can speak? A monkey with Down's Syndrome? Dogs with human hands or feet? British scientists want to know if such experiments are acceptable, or if they go too far in the name of medical research.

To find out, Britain's Academy of Medical Sciences launched a study Tuesday to look at the use of animals containing human material in scientific research.
...
Using human material in animals is not new. Scientists have already created rhesus macaque monkeys that have a human form of the Huntingdon's gene so they can investigate how the disease develops; and mice with livers made from human cells are being used to study the effects of new drugs.

But scientists say the technology to put ever greater amounts of human genetic material into animals is spreading quickly around the world -- raising the possibility that some scientists in some places may want to push boundaries.

"There is a whole raft of new scientific techniques that will make it not only easier but also more important to be able to do these cross-species experiments," Bobrow said.
...
Bobrow said there was a "sort of understanding" within the scientific community that "as you get close to 50/50 mix" of human and animal material, the boundaries are near, but he said laws were vague at best.

"Do most of us care if we make a mouse whose blood cells or liver are human? Probably not," he said. "But if it can speak? If it can think? Or if it is conscious in a human way? Then we're in a completely different ballpark."


Just thought I would throw it out there to see what your thoughts were on the whole idea. How far is too far, and why? When does it become unethical, if the concept of experimenting on animals for research isn't itself unethical? If medical experiments require this much "human" in the animals, how about farming up some people instead? If that'd be even worse, why? Does this have implications down the road for genetically engineering humans with a hint of whichever animal (transhumanism, yes?)? What about non-medical applications - would you really want a talking cat (maybe the wrong animal) or a dog that could use a tin-opener? And so on...

Curious about your opinions, I personally am a bit unsettled by it but haven't quite figured out why. I don't like the idea of people doing experiments on live animals but science has made huge advances as a result of doing them, and I'm not clear as to whether the data they gather in animal experiments these days could be obtained from computer models alone yet. I feel like a gene here and there is one thing, but large amounts of human material and functions like speech (I would think the biology could get quite messy and human-heavy there) really get a strong gut reaction from me when I imagine it. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201086#Comment_201086 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201086#Comment_201086 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:06:39 -0800 Rootfireember The Island of Dr.Moreau. The book; not the movie, and outcry over the use of vivisection when it was the shiny new tecnique of the day. In reality, the technique did not actually result in human-animals taking over the world. But it did cause protests on the behalf of how ethical -or unethical- is was perceived to be.

From what I understand, there are laws in place that govern how much human material can be used; and I know for sure the "If it can speak" thing is a bit of an inflammatory statement, designed to get a rise out of the reader. Scientists are not creating mythical beast people, human beings with doey animal eyes for abuse and torture , and the lives of chimeras in most places are very, very short. For example;

British lawmakers voted to legalize the creation of animal-human embryos for medical research. In the future, scientists in Britain will be allowed to combine human DNA with animal egg cells. But the law says the resulting "chimera" embryos must destroyed within 14 days, and cannot be implanted. From [here]


Fourteen Days from its creation, the embryo must be destroyed.

Embryo

If that bugger's talking, I think we have a bit more to worry about than how human it is. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201088#Comment_201088 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201088#Comment_201088 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:19:03 -0800 Fan Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201099#Comment_201099 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201099#Comment_201099 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:39:50 -0800 Remedy Loame Moreau (though it did come to mind for a second) - name and plot escape me. Never mind. (edit: I may have been thinking of the mouse with the ear on its back from years ago.)

@Fan - It's definitely self-serving, perhaps it is more just a matter of time for development of other ways, better computer models and more cost-effective and efficient ways to, I don't know, grow human body parts in labs. So there's no real need to go mucking about in the genetic makeup of other animals. Encroachment brings up the issue of overpopulation, too, urgh...whole other can of worms. Thanks for your thoughts!

(Also, sorry about stupid questions, I can be a little too what-iffy for my own good!) ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201105#Comment_201105 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201105#Comment_201105 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:50:20 -0800 James Puckett Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201109#Comment_201109 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201109#Comment_201109 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:58:16 -0800 Remedy Loame lab-grown rabbit penises seem to be happening. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201137#Comment_201137 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201137#Comment_201137 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:06:37 -0800 StefanJ Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201156#Comment_201156 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201156#Comment_201156 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:40:35 -0800 tedcroland


Whoops. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201160#Comment_201160 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201160#Comment_201160 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:41:12 -0800 Kosmopolit
There's also a natural phenomena known as horizontal gene transfer where viruses transfer genes between different species. That's been going on for hundreds of millions of years. So, genetic engineering is lot less "unnatural" than people assume.

I definitely don't believe in causing unnecessary suffering in any sentient being but proivded you aren;t doing that, stick whatever genes you like wherever you like. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201215#Comment_201215 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201215#Comment_201215 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:00:33 -0800 cornelius.urquhart Until we make something that enslaves us/turns us extinct.
And if that happens, then we deserved it. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201255#Comment_201255 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201255#Comment_201255 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:01:05 -0800 Cyman Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201260#Comment_201260 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201260#Comment_201260 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:15:47 -0800 cornelius.urquhart
By that logic, Cornelius, do we deserve it now? You've put "deserved" in past tense, y'see. And if we deserve it now, then it would seem we've already gone too far.
I wish to plead temporal ignorance. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201374#Comment_201374 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201374#Comment_201374 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:06:55 -0800 Phranky
If funding is lacking then perhaps donations could be requested from furries. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201399#Comment_201399 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201399#Comment_201399 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:10:35 -0800 Kosmopolit Until we make something that enslaves us/turns us extinct.
And if that happens, then we deserved it. "

Or something that ask us to stop. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201432#Comment_201432 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201432#Comment_201432 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:07:39 -0800 James Puckett If funding is lacking then perhaps donations could be requested from furries.

And that’s too far. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201673#Comment_201673 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201673#Comment_201673 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:47:39 -0800 Rootfireember
The days of madcap experiments, I believe, are rather long gone, with the rising standard of ethics in the scientific and psychological communities.

As for how far is too far? - When something causes needless suffering to a subject (human or animal), for no benefit to the subject, mankind or the subject's species in general. Reactions to procedures, treatments and medications can and will occur in an experimental setting- one's working with stuff that was, until then, untested, afterall. But as long as attempts are made to ensure that the animal is in no extreme amount of stress, suffering or pain-- I've got no problem with stuff.

While daydreams of Moreau's island are fun, I believe we've got a long way to go before we have to fear leopard and hyena men trying to chomp our bones.

I do have a question I've been mulling over the past few days:

at what point does a Chimera stop being an animal, and become human? ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201679#Comment_201679 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201679#Comment_201679 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:10:55 -0800 gzapata

In all seriousness I'd like to never find out ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201696#Comment_201696 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201696#Comment_201696 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:12:37 -0800 Rootfireember This Study]; if we use that as a baseline to work with, it gives one quite a bit of room before a chimera goes from animal to human. Though I expect things to be really interesting when you pass the 96% same-as-human mark . ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201701#Comment_201701 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201701#Comment_201701 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:35:46 -0800 gzapata Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201715#Comment_201715 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201715#Comment_201715 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:08:01 -0800 StefanJ "I believe we've got a long way to go before we have to fear leopard and hyena men trying to chomp our bones."

To judge from the artwork I've seen, the furries might go for a leopard woman nibbling on their bone. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201749#Comment_201749 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=201749#Comment_201749 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:55:18 -0800 Dario Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202036#Comment_202036 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202036#Comment_202036 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:55:05 -0800 Fan When they are able to explain to me how to play black jack

That's social, you know, cultural: not physical. A feral child couldn't do it: wouldn't even know (and couldn't be taught) what 'playing' is: don't have the capacity for 'shared attention', apparently: which we can certainly teach dogs. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202039#Comment_202039 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202039#Comment_202039 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:56:29 -0800 Dario Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202063#Comment_202063 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202063#Comment_202063 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:02:53 -0800 rickiep00h Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202069#Comment_202069 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202069#Comment_202069 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:17:21 -0800 Rootfireember @Rickiep00h
-WHAT DO you have against LEOPARD WOMEN?! HRMM!

erm. I mean.

If a chimera of over 94% human biology were raised in a laboratory setting, would it be human? Would it end up growing up like a feral child with the cognative issues asociated with it, or would it grow up more like a normal human?

I have NO CLUE.

But I do like chewing on thoughts like these. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202095#Comment_202095 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202095#Comment_202095 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:08:46 -0800 StefanJ Sirius. Dog with a really big brain (through hormone manipulation in the womb; genetic engineering wasn't quite conceived of back then) raised by a Welsch family.

@Rootfireember: Which 94%? What kind of laboratory setting? And what the hell is human anyway?

There's a science story appearing here and there about the FOXP2 gene, which controls speech:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111130942.htm

One gene which controls language ability. At least on the cognitive level; I doubt you'd get a larynx for free. Humans with a mutated form of the gene have severe language difficulties. If you put the human form into an animal, it might very well have remarkable language abilities. But would it be human? Or more to the point, be able to have a meaningful life in human society? Smart creatures who can understand language but not actually talk, and who don't have hands and have short lives, might feel like they've gotten the shaft. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202111#Comment_202111 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202111#Comment_202111 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:25:03 -0800 Rootfireember ...this has done nothing to change humans perceptions of them as dumb animals, it would seem.

Also, I forgot about the FOXP2 gene! Thanks for bringing it up. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202119#Comment_202119 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202119#Comment_202119 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:37:43 -0800 Fan What kind of laboratory setting?

There were those experiments by Harry Harlow, about touch and so on. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202134#Comment_202134 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202134#Comment_202134 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:45:19 -0800 StefanJ "...this has done nothing to change humans perceptions of them as dumb animals, it would seem."

Most people think crows are pretty bright. If they all talked like Alex the Grey Parrot we'd think they were even smarter. But it would make them even more annoying. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202139#Comment_202139 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202139#Comment_202139 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:25 -0800 Rootfireember @StefanJ- The New Caledonian Crows have, as far as I remember, (I may be wrong) surpassed chimps in a variety of logic and toolmaking tests. There's a large volume of studies about avian intelligence. People just don't seem to like them as much as the monkey studies; and then there's the word Parrot. As in To Mimic. It's easy enough for the average person to mistake a bird's words for nothing more than abstracted, meaningless babbling -- a cute parlor trick, but little more.

If you were, eventually to get an animal as intelligent as a human, with the ability to communicate like a human, would it have a chance of being accepted into a human society and culture, or would it always be an outsider, a freak to be toured around on youtube or for sound-bites? What would we do with such a thing? Would it have a chance at all of integrating into our society, and living a happy, fulfilling life? ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202172#Comment_202172 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202172#Comment_202172 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:33:32 -0800 Walks-The-Murder-Dub
She thinks the ethics line stops at the neck. She is uncool with any alteration producing sentience in animals about to be used for experimentation (perhaps in general.)

I think all such idealist trends will yeild to profit unless some serious alteration of megacorp patterns is on the rise (HA Fucking HA) ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202296#Comment_202296 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202296#Comment_202296 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:09:15 -0800 William George
My Spider-man pajamas need airing. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202331#Comment_202331 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202331#Comment_202331 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:53:04 -0800 Phranky or would it always be an outsider, a freak to be toured around on youtube or for sound-bites? What would we do with such a thing? Would it have a chance at all of integrating into our society, and living a happy, fulfilling life?
You have been on Youtube right? That's already a 21st century freak show. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202378#Comment_202378 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202378#Comment_202378 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:13:30 -0800 StefanJ "What would we do with such a thing?"

The only ethical way to treat them would be to raise them as our own kids, to be citizens. If they're not capable of participating in society in a meaningful way, I wouldn't bother making them in the first place.

As to why even try:

“The question that will decide our destiny is not whether we shall expand into space. It is: shall we be one species or a million? A million species will not exhaust the ecological niches that are awaiting the arrival of intelligence.” -- Freeman Dyson, "The Greening of the Galaxy." ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202386#Comment_202386 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202386#Comment_202386 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:27:03 -0800 RenThing “The question that will decide our destiny is not whether we shall expand into space. It is: shall we be one species or a million? A million species will not exhaust the ecological niches that are awaiting the arrival of intelligence.” -- Freeman Dyson, "The Greening of the Galaxy."

Reminds me of the race of humans in the Hyperion series who genetically modified themselves to be able to live just about anywhere on any planet. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202415#Comment_202415 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202415#Comment_202415 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:19:16 -0800 StefanJ Schiszmatrix.

The essay is from Dyson's Disturbing the Universe, which is a pretty amazing book. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202507#Comment_202507 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202507#Comment_202507 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:02:47 -0800 rickiep00h Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202517#Comment_202517 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202517#Comment_202517 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:35:40 -0800 StefanJ
But, like wearing blue jeans and not wearing a hat, with time it might become perfectly normal. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202521#Comment_202521 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202521#Comment_202521 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:16:05 -0800 Rootfireember Would they be more susceptible to zoonotic diseases? Would they have to get animal shots and human shots? Would they become a pathway by which diseases that had previously only occurred in some non-humans crossed over to humanity? ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202535#Comment_202535 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202535#Comment_202535 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:07:31 -0800 Mark Seifert
Look at the areas of sports performance that people are struggling with now, with various performance enhancers and so on. That's worked its way from dirty little secret to openly debated to some of the biggest names in sports doing it and not losing their status. Next, we'll start hearing about safer drugs and methods and the floodgates will start opening. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202666#Comment_202666 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202666#Comment_202666 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:11:12 -0800 Kosmopolit
1. Additional copies of the telomerase gene to extend life expectancy.

2. Delete the Myostatin gene to promote extreme physical strength

3. Copy the genetic mutation found in mole rats that prevents cancer

4. Additional copies of the gene recently found in mice that correlates with memory and IQ. ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202671#Comment_202671 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=202671#Comment_202671 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:37:31 -0800 Nygaard
Come to think of it, why haven't we? ]]> Animals with Human Genes: How Far Is Too Far? http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=203186#Comment_203186 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=7194&Focus=203186#Comment_203186 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:30:06 -0800 Rootfireember A new Human/Chimp Gene Comparrison
The target of Geschwind’s analysis was FOXP2, a gene that rose to scientific prominence during the study of a London-based family afflicted by hereditary speech disorders. Of the extended family’s 30 members, one-half have severe linguistic deficiencies, as well as a FOXP2 mutation. Those who don’t have the mutation are able to speak normally.
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