Introduction to Genetics for Language Scientists - Current Concepts, Methods, and Findings

An introduction to genetics aimed at language scientists, with carefully selected concepts, methods and findings exploring language and speech.

List of contents

1. Introduction; 2. Nature, nurture, and heritability; 3. The molecular bases of genetics; 4. Effects of genes on phenotype; 5. Linkage disequilibrium and its role in finding genes; 6. What do genes actually do?; 7. The way forward: exome and genome sequencing; 8. Population and evolutionary genetics; 9. Interactions between genetic and cultural evolution; 10. Conclusions, topics not covered, future directions; Appendix. The computer code; A.1. Simulating contingency tables; A.2. Log Odds Ratio; A.3. Simulating genetic drift; Notes; References; Glossary; Index.

About the author

Dan Dediu is Senior Investigator in the Language and Genetics Department at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Summary

This introduction carefully focuses on the most relevant concepts, methods and findings in the genetics of language and speech, and covers a wide range of topics such as heritability, the molecular mechanisms through which genes influence our language, and the evolutionary forces affecting them.

Report

'How does our genetic make-up contribute to our language ability? This book provides language scientists with a much needed introduction to genetics, providing the necessary background to think intelligently about this question.' Morten H. Christiansen, Co-Director of the Cognitive Science Program, Cornell University, Senior Scientist, Haskins Laboratories, and External Professor, University of Southern Denmark

Product details

• Authors: Dan Dediu, Dan (Max-Planck-Institut Fur Psycholinguist Dediu, Dediu Dan
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 12.03.2015
• EAN: 9781107001299
• ISBN: 978-1-107-00129-9
• No. of pages: 300
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Genetics, genetic engineering; Language, Linguistics, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General, Cognition & cognitive psychology, Psycholinguistics, Grammar, syntax & morphology, Phonetics, phonology, Historical & comparative linguistics, Speech & language disorders & therapy, Genetics (non-medical), Semantics, discourse analysis, etc