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Grammar genes

From:Chris Peters <beta_leonis@...>
Date:Wednesday, February 8, 2006, 4:56
>http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-200 >60206-19051000-bc-us-grammarbrain.xml > >Study: Grammar ability hardwired in humans > >ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 6 (UPI) -- University of Rochester scientists >studying why characteristics of grammar are found in all languages say >the use of grammar is hardwired in our brains. > >The study ><http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20 >060206-19051000-bc-us-grammarbrain.xml#> examined deaf individuals who >were isolated from conventional sign, spoken and written language their >entire lives, and yet still developed a unique form of gesture >communication. > >"Our findings suggest that certain fundamental characteristics of human >language systems appear in gestural communication, even when the user >has never been exposed to linguistic input and has not descended from >previous generations of skilled communicative partners," said Elissa >Newport, a professor of brain ><http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20 >060206-19051000-bc-us-grammarbrain.xml#> and cognitive sciences and >linguistics > >"We examined a particular hallmark of known grammatical systems and >found these signers also used this same hallmark in their gestured >sentences," said said. "They designed their own language and wound up >with some of the same rules of grammar every other language uses." > >The research was recently published in the Proceedings of the National >Academy ><http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20 >060206-19051000-bc-us-grammarbrain.xml#> of Sciences. > > >