innate

[Phlete_Teachout at ESD.TRACOR.COM]

     Did anyone else notice the small article about the results of mixing
     chicken and quail DNA in this month's Scientific American?  When the
     eggs hatched, some of the hatchlings (would these be 'quicks'
     (quail+chicks)?) exhibited quail characteristics - quail-like bobbing
     and quail vocalizations.  Wouldn't this imply that, in some animals at
     least, vocalization is genetically directed?

     Disclaimer:  I am not a biologist or a linguist.

                                       - fleet -
                             phlete_teachout at esd.tracor.com


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: innate
Author:  Sherman Wilcox <wilcox at UNM.EDU> at ESD
Date:    4/24/97 11:34 PM


So somewhere between dogs not speaking, single genes controlling
morphological paradigms, and certain aspects of linguistic behavior being
due to the social environment lies the truth. I guess we have the biology
of language pretty well nailed down.

-- Sherman Wilcox