FOXP2 and the mirror system

An inherited deficit in spoken language has been associated with a mutation in the forkhead box P2 (FOXP2) gene on chromosome 7. A recent functional magnetic resonance imaging study has linked the deficit to underactivity in Broca's area during word generation, which in turn suggests a possible link between FOXP2 and the mirror-neuron system observed in the primate homologue of Broca's area. This link might have implications for the evolution of Broca's area and its role in speech.