Researchers have identified NOVA1 as a potential human “language gene” that may have played a crucial role in the evolution of spoken language.

Unlike other mammals, humans have a unique variant of this gene, which even Neanderthals and Denisovans lacked. This suggests it emerged relatively recently in our evolutionary history.

When scientists inserted the human NOVA1 variant into mice, the rodents’ vocalization patterns changed—pups produced higher-frequency squeaks, while adult males developed more complex courtship calls.

Guest: Dr. Robert Darnell - Professor and Investigator at The Rockefeller University’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute

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