Doctoral Dissertation Research: A model system for understanding the evolution of human language

博士论文研究：理解人类语言进化的模型系统

• 批准号: 1913821
• 负责人: Stephanie White
• 金额: $ 2.81万
• 依托单位: University of California-Los Angeles
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-03-01 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1913821&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; model; system

Language is a trait that sets humans apart from all other species, and researchers are interested in understanding how, when, and why complex language evolved in hominins. This doctoral dissertation project will use a non-human model to understand neuro-genetic changes that correlate with increased social learning and flexibility of vocal behavior. These data will be compared with human and chimpanzee genomic data to identify potential shared evolutionary mechanisms in the evolution of birdsong and human language. By illuminating the molecular mechanisms of auditory perception that support learning of a more flexible vocal behavior in the model system, the research may shed light on our understanding of normal functionality and disorders of human speech. The project will also include public and K-12 science outreach activities in the San Francisco Bay Area.This project will empirically investigate the genetic and evolutionary processes that correlate with increased flexibility of vocal learning and behavior in the White-Backed Munia (WBM)/Bengalese Finch (BF) songbird system. The researchers will then investigate potentially analogous genetic and functional pathways involved in the evolution of flexible human vocal learning capacities with respect to those of other primates. Specific aims of the project include: (i) an investigation of the evolutionary forces underlying the changes in vocal behavior in BF relative to WBM utilizing whole-genome sequencing of individuals within the two bird strains and subsequent scans for signatures of positive or relaxed selection, thus allowing identification of candidate genes modified in this transition; (ii) an analysis of genetically regulated differences in neurological function correlated with differences in the flexibility of adult vocal production between BF and WBM, by comparing measures of gene expression for whole transcriptomes from main birdsong-related brain areas of BF and WBM adult males exposed to unfamiliar conspecific song; and (iii) a comparison of the birdsong data to neuroanatomical and genomic data provided by studies of human divergence from closely related primates (e.g. chimpanzee) to identify possible evolutionary parallelisms.

语言是人类区别于所有其他物种的一种特征，研究人员对理解复杂语言是如何、何时以及为何在古人类中进化感兴趣。这个博士论文项目将使用一个非人类模型来理解与增加的社会学习和声音行为的灵活性相关的神经遗传变化。这些数据将与人类和黑猩猩的基因组数据进行比较，以确定鸟类鸣叫和人类语言进化中潜在的共同进化机制。通过阐明支持在模型系统中学习更灵活的发声行为的听觉感知的分子机制，该研究可能有助于我们对人类语言正常功能和障碍的理解。该项目还将包括旧金山湾区的公共和K-12科学推广活动。本项目将对白背文鸟(WBM)/孟加拉雀（BF）鸣禽系统中与声乐学习和行为灵活性增加相关的遗传和进化过程进行实证研究。然后，研究人员将研究与其他灵长类动物相比，人类灵活的声乐学习能力进化过程中潜在的类似遗传和功能途径。该项目的具体目标包括：(i)利用对两种鸟类种群的个体进行全基因组测序，并随后扫描积极或宽松选择的特征，调查BF相对于WBM的发声行为变化背后的进化力量，从而确定在这种转变中修饰的候选基因；（ii）通过比较暴露于不熟悉的同种鸣声的BF和WBM成年雄性与鸣声相关的主要脑区全转录组的基因表达，分析了BF和WBM之间与成年声乐产生灵活性差异相关的神经功能的遗传调节差异；（iii）将鸟鸣数据与人类与密切相关的灵长类动物（如黑猩猩）差异研究提供的神经解剖学和基因组数据进行比较，以确定可能的进化相似性。