Genome Entry 5 : Instinct

Many great theories implied that genetic determinism of human instinct is much more probable. Human grammar is probably the best example. Young children can speak with perfect grammar before even learning it. On chromosome 7 there is a gene that is linked to the disorder called Specific Language Impairment or SLI.  In a study of a English family with a history of the disorder, Myrna Gopnik proposed that SLI does not develop from the physical act of speaking but rather in the ability to learn grammar rules. Individuals that have SLI communicate with much larger vocabulary because of the lack of internalized grammar which is similar to adults trying to learn a new foreign language. Ridley also connects grammar instincts to natural selection and how it is used for survival.