Japanese scientists reported on Tuesday that they have created mice that chirp like birds. This is made possible by the "evolution" of genetic engineering, which they hope will shed light on the origins of human language
A group of researchers from Osaka University have created an animal as part of the Evolving Mice Project, in which they use genetically modified mice that are prone to mutation.
“Mutations are the driving force behind evolution. We have crossed genetically modified mice for future generations to see what happens,”said lead researcher Arikuni Ushimura.
“We tested newborn mice one after another … Once we found that the mouse sang like a bird,” he said, noting that the “singing mouse” was born by chance, but now this trait will be passed on to future generations.
“I was surprised because I expected to see mice that differ in physical shape,” the researcher added, adding that the project was actually aimed at creating mice with short limbs and dachshund-like tails.
The laboratory, run by Professor Takeshi Yagi of the Faculty of Frontier Biosciences at Osaka University, currently has more than 100 "singing mice" for further research.
Scientists hope these test subjects will help shed light on how human language evolved. For the same purpose, researchers in other countries are using songbirds such as finches.
Experts have found that birds use different sound elements, piece them together, like words in human language, and then create their own "songs" from the lines, which obey certain linguistic rules.
“Mice are better for studying than birds because they are mammals and are much closer to humans in brain structure and other biological aspects,” Ushimura said.
“We see how a mouse that makes new sounds affects ordinary mice in the same group. In other words, it clearly has social connotations,”he said, adding that normal mice tend to squeak under stress.
Given that mutant mice "chirp" louder when they are placed in different environments, or when males are planted with females, then their chirping "may be an expression of some of their emotions or body reactions."
Scientists have found that normal mice that grew up with singing mice emit less ultrasonic signals than others. This may indicate that communication methods can spread in one group to another, like a dialect.
Ushimura dreams of the further "evolution" of mice through genetic engineering.