Graduate Seminar, Biology 608V, Spring 2008
Mondays 2-4 PM, Room
BPS 1208
Genetics
and evolution of vocal learning and language
Instructors:
Gerald Wilkinson, Biology
Juan Uriagereka, Linguistics
Jim Reggia, Computer Science
General goals: This interdisciplinary seminar is motivated by
a series of recent papers that have implicated a particular gene (FoxP2) in
human language and nonhuman animal communication. Detailed anatomical studies in a variety
of species, including humans, reveal the presence of the relevant protein in
developing brains, in regions that are homologous to the human caudate nucleus,
a region known to be important for learning, memory and language comprehension.
In the case of songbirds, specific brain circuits for song acquisition and song
production exhibit activity of this gene and correspond to functionally
equivalent brain circuits in other species. Moreover, there are indications that the gene may play a
role in the regulation of what psychologists refer to as procedural memory.
The modalities of the phenotype that these brain regions control range from
speech to sonar and include chirping, dancing, gestural patterns and possibly
other manifestations.
Given these
claims, our specific goal in the seminar is to critically evaluate the
available evidence and determine the extent to which the genetic, linguistic
and neurobiological patterns are consistent with a single underlying genetic
basis. Our more general goal is to
explore the links between human language and a variety of animal behaviors
related specifically to vocal learning and communication. In addition to considering genetic,
linguistic and neurobiological evidence, we will also will examine and discuss
computational and analytical approaches to solving the question of how complex
communication in general and language in particular has evolved.
The three
instructors leading this seminar share an interest in the evolution of language
but have complimentary expertise in areas that include animal behavior,
genetics, linguistics, neurobiology, and artificial life simulation. We hope that the students that
participate in the seminar will also have different backgrounds but share a
general interest in evolution. To
insure that all topics can be discussed by all participants, in the first four
meetings of the course we will provide primers on pertinent information related
to linguistics, neurobiology, vocal learning, computational biology, and
genetics. Subsequent class meetings
will be devoted to discussing papers as described below. The specific list of topics discussed
in the seminar will be decided during the first week of the class.
Format: This course will meet once a week on Mondays from
2-4 PM. After assessing the background and interests of individuals in the class,
a schedule of topics for the semester will be developed and readings will be
assigned. The first four weeks will be run by the instructors and will consist
of tutorials on the linguistic, computational and genetic approaches to the
study of language and vocal communication. In subsequent weeks, the discussions will be led by members
of the class. Each week, one
or two key papers or book chapters will be assigned for all members of the
class to read. In addition, each class member will read at least one additional
paper either from the list provided or that they find on their own. One or two members of the class will
lead the discussion of the article read by all, as well as the individual
articles read by each class member.
Summaries of each paper will be compiled and made available on the class
website,
http://www.life.umd.edu/faculty/wilkinson/BIOL608V/
Grading: If enrolled for one credit, grades will be based on attendance, participation in discussions, presentation, and an annotated bibliography for the material discussed during one week. If enrolled for two credits, a review paper must also be completed. The paper should be written in the form of a review article for a Trends in journal. The paper should be between 2,000 and 2,500 words (about 10 double-spaced pages) and should provide a balanced review of some topic that was covered during the course.