| Title: | Ancient regulatory evolution shapes individual language abilities in present-day humans |
| Journal: | Science Advances |
| Published: | 22 Apr 2026 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42018620/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed5260 |
Publication 17871
WARNING: the interactive features of this website use CSS3, which your browser does not support. To use the full features of this website, please update your browser.
Abstract
Language is a defining feature of our species, yet the genomic changes enabling it remain poorly understood. Despite decades of work since FOXP2's discovery, we still lack a clear picture of which regions shaped language evolution and how variation contributes to present-day phenotypic differences. Using an evolutionary stratified polygenic score approach, we find that human ancestor quickly evolved regions (HAQERs) are associated with spoken language abilities (discovery N = 350, total replication N > 100,000). HAQERs evolved before the human-Neanderthal split, giving hominins increased binding of Forkhead and Homeobox transcription factors, and show evidence of balancing selection across the past 20,000 years. Language-associated variants in HAQERs appear more prevalent in Neanderthals, and HAQER-like sequences show convergent evolution across vocal-learning mammals. Our results reveal how ancient innovations continue shaping human language.</p>
7 Keywords
- Animals
- Biological Evolution
- Evolution, Molecular
- Hominidae
- Humans
- Language
- Neanderthals
11 Authors
- Lucas G. Casten
- Tanner Koomar
- Taylor R. Thomas
- Jin-Young Koh
- Dabney Hofammann
- Savantha Thenuwara
- Allison Momany
- Marlea O'Brien
- Jeffrey C. Murray
- J. Bruce Tomblin
- Jacob J. Michaelson
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 46053 | Genetic potentiators of human language |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health