A team of researchers has identified multiple genes linked to musical aptitude, providing further evidence that musical ability is heritable.

The team, led by Irma Jarvela of the University of Finland, analyzed the genomes of 767 people, representing 76 families. Fifteen of the families were selected for having several professional musicians, while the rest were simply recruited from advertisements. Subjects older than seven were assessed for musical aptitude. In three separate tests, subjects were asked to discern small differences in tone pitch and duration, and to detect minute differences in sound patterns from various musical sequences. Armed with this abundance of genomes and test results, the researchers then associated specific genes with musical aptitude.

The most notable link was found on the third chromosome, near the gene GATA2. GATA2 produces a transcription factor key to the development of the inner ear. Another gene, PCDH7, was also strongly linked to musical aptitude. PCDH7 is known to be expressed in the cochlea, the auditory portion of the inner ear, and the amygdaloid complex in the brain.

"In neuroscientific studies, [the] amygdala has been linked to emotional interpretation of musical sounds." the researchers explained.

Currently, scientists are unable to precisely pinpoint how much of musical ability is tied to genetics and how much is tied to training. Putting a percentage on this complicated interplay would almost certainly be an oversimplification.

What we do know is that musical training, especially at an early age when the brain is most malleable, boosts the growth of neurons and makes the brain more "plastic" -- able to change. This can positively affect many cognitive abilities, but especially musical ones. A study conducted in 1998 found that 40% of musicians who initiated training at 4 years of age or younger developed absolute pitch -- the ability to effortlessly name a note or a group of notes upon hearing them -- whereas only 3% of who started training at or after 9 years of age did.

As studies like the current one become more commonplace, bolstering our knowledge of innate musical ability, it may become possible to sequence a baby's genome and determine if he or she is predisposed to musical stardom.

Source: J Oikkonen, Y Huang, P Onkamo, L Ukkola-Vuoti, P Raijas, K Karma, VJ Vieland. and I Järvelä. "A genome-wide linkage and association study of musical aptitude identifies loci containing genes related to inner ear development and neurocognitive functions." Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 11 March 2014; doi:10.1038/mp.2014.8