Scientists decode possible origin of human speech
New York, July 23: Researchers have discovered neural circuits in the brains of rhesus macaque monkeys that could represent a common origin for social communication, including human speech.
The findings showed that these circuits are involved in face recognition, facial expression and emotion and they may very well have given rise to our singular capacity for speech.
The team, from the Rockefeller University in New York City, used a novel experimental setup to take MRI scans of the brains of monkeys as they watched video clips of other monkeys making communicative facial expressions.
When the monkeys in the clips made a friendly lip-smacking gesture, the subject monkeys responded in kind -- but only when their pre-recorded peers appeared to be making direct eye contact with them.
Besides, the face-perception regions of the monkeys' brains that simply feed information to a region associated with emotion did not shuttle information to one another in straightforward, sequential fashion, said Winrich Freiwald, scientists at the varsity.
The videos that simulated social interaction through direct eye contact caused an unexpected third neural circuit to light up.
This suggests that specific areas of the animals' brains are sensitive to social context, and perform the specialised cognitive functions necessary for social communication.
Generating a friendly lipsmack, in particular, activated a region that resembles Broca's area -- a portion of the human brain concerned with the production of speech.
This suggests that monkey facial expressions like lipsmacks might be evolutionary precursors to human speech -- a possibility that some scientists had previously discounted on the grounds that such gestures were too simple or reflexive to pave the way for something as subtle and sophisticated as human verbal communication, Freiwald explained, in the paper reported in the journal Neuron.
Currently, the researchers are measuring the electrical activity in individual neurons in all three of the networks revealed in the scans.
"Understanding this in monkeys will help us understand communication in humans, where things are so much more complicated," says Freiwald, who describes the findings as "an important building block" in the quest to understand our species' unique way with words.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
AMMK chief files plaint against TVK over 'forged' support letter
Chennai (PTI): The AMMK has lodged a complaint with the Guindy police against the TVK, alleging the use of a "forged" support letter to stake claim for government formation, police said on Saturday.
According to Guindy police, a petition has been received from AMMK General Secretary T T V Dhinakaran.
However, officials said that no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in the matter as of Saturday morning.
The development followed a high-drama midnight visit by Dhinakaran to the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Guindy Range.
Speaking to reporters, the AMMK chief accused the Vijay-led TVK of submitting a forged photocopy of a letter to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, falsely claiming the support of AMMK’s lone MLA-elect from Mannargudi, S Kamaraj.
"The TVK, which claims to be a 'pure force,' has indulged in forgery and horse-trading," Dhinakaran stated.
He alleged that the party attempted to bypass the anti-defection law by fabricating support. He also revealed that Kamaraj was "shocked" to see the forged document used in his name.
Earlier on Friday, Dhinakaran had formally extended AMMK's support to AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. Meanwhile, the TVK has dismissed the allegations as "false news," releasing a counter-video purportedly showing MLA Kamaraj signing the support letter voluntarily.
The Guindy police are expected to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the petition before deciding on the registration of an FIR.
