What are the genetic origins of language?

Scientists have found areas of our genome implicated in the development of language, shedding light on how networks of genes help to build our language-ready brains. Work has focused on the FOXP2 gene – a gene that regulates the activity of other genes. Variations in related genes such as CNTNAP2 can affect a person’s risk of developing a particular speech disorder. This is likely to be due to faulty wiring in the nervous system involving a protein called neurexin.

The structure of the protein produced by the FOXP2 gene.