Japan bio-scientists produce 'singing mouse'

[Kadie]

Japan bio-scientists produce 'singing mouse'

by Miwa Suzuki – Tue Dec 21, 5:52 am ET

TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese scientists said Tuesday they had produced a mouse that tweets like a bird in a genetically engineered "evolution" which they hope will shed light on the origins of human language.

A team of researchers at the University of Osaka created the animal in their "Evolved Mouse Project", in which they use genetically modified mice that are prone to miscopying DNA and thus to mutations.

"Mutations are the driving force of evolution. We have cross-bred the genetically modified mice for generations to see what would happen," lead researcher Arikuni Uchimura told AFP.

"We checked the newly born mice one by one... One day we found a mouse that was singing like a bird," he said, noting that the "singing mouse" was born by chance but that the trait will be passed on to future generations.

"I was surprised because I had been expecting mice that are different in physical shape," he said by telephone, adding that in fact the project had also produced "a mouse with short limbs and a tail like a dachshund".

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101221/ts_afp/sciencejapanbiotechmouselanguageoffbeat_20101221105223




The mouse that chirped: Scientists at the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences in Suita City, Japan, have created a genetically engineered mouse that tweets like a bird. They hope it will shed light on the origins of human language.
Photo: Osaka University / AFP / Getty Images

pic from sfgate.com

[Motown_Johnny]

1. Does it have a fully functioning human brain?

[ixion]

2. yeah, but can it dance?

[eleny]

3. Or cook?!

[obxhead]

6. Or ride a motorcycle?

[Yurovsky]

4. Only 82 years after Walt Disney...

[HEyHEY]

5. USA! USA!

[hootinholler]

8. First thing in my mind too

GMTA

:rofl:

-Hoot

[FiveGoodMen]

7. Yeah, but where are they on luminous goldfish?

[MilesColtrane]

9. How deep is his repertoire?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwAmpn8ISV0

[PADemD]

11. You can listen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLu37VvCozw

[EstimatedProphet]

10. They would.