Origin of the Singing Mice discovered

Scientists discovered the origin of singing mice that use songs to communicate. The discovery can help identify genes that affect language in humans.
The singing mice are brown fur rodents, found in the tropical cloud forests in the mountains of Costa Rica.
These mice produce rapid-fire string of high pitched chirps called “Trills”, which are used mostly by males to attract mates.
They are different from birds as the mice generally stick to a song made up of only a single note.
The research is examining the genetic components and expression of gene FOXP2 which as per scientists influences song expression.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2012