Empirical approaches to the study of language evolution

Fitch, W. Tecumseh

doi:10.3758/s13423-017-1236-5

Cited by 185 publications

(179 citation statements)

References 335 publications

(394 reference statements)

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“…Thus, its origins and subsequent evolution are one important component of any comprehensive model of language evolution . Other key components include our capacity for complex hierarchical syntax, along with certain aspects of compositional semantics and pragmatics …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence and hierarchy in vocal rhythms and phonology

Fitch

2019

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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I explore the neural and evolutionary origins of phonological hierarchy, building on Peter MacNeilage's frame/content model, which suggests that human speech evolved from primate nonvocal jaw oscillations, for example, lip smack displays, combined with phonation. Considerable recent data, reviewed here, support this proposition. I argue that the evolution of speech motor control required two independent components. The first, identified by MacNeilage, is the diversification of phonetic “content” within a simple sequential “frame,” and would be within reach of nonhuman primates, by simply intermittently activating phonation during lip smack displays. Such voicing control requires laryngeal control, hypothesized to necessitate direct corticomotor connections to the nucleus ambiguus. The second component, proposed here, involves imposing additional hierarchical rhythmic structure upon the “flat” control sequences typifying mammalian vocal tract oscillations and is required for the flexible combinatorial capacity observed in modern phonology. I hypothesize that phonological hierarchy resulted from a marriage of a preexisting capacity for sequential structure seen in other primates, with novel hierarchical motor control circuitry (potentially evolved in tool use and/or musical contexts). In turn, this phonological hierarchy paved the way for phrasal syntactic hierarchy. I support these arguments using comparative and neural data from nonhuman primates and birdsong.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence and hierarchy in vocal rhythms and phonology

Fitch

2019

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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“…These may range from basic processes like action understanding (Mier et al 2010), social attention, and memory, to higher-order functions such as social inference and attitudes (Fiske and Taylor 2013). To give an example based on a developmental perspective, the following compilation of processes has been suggested: affiliation, agent identification, emotion processing, empathy, individuals' information store, mental state attribution, self-processing, social hierarchy mapping, social policing, and in-group/out-group categorization (Happe and Frith 2014).…”

Section: The Social Mindmentioning

confidence: 99%

The social mind: disentangling affective and cognitive routes to understanding others

Kanske

2018

Interdisciplinary Science Reviews

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To flexibly adjust behaviour to that of other people around us requires some representation of their overt actions, but also of the driving forces behind them, that is, their goals, intentions, and emotions. Socio-affective and -cognitive functions enable such representations via creating vicarious affective states in the observer (empathy) or by accumulating abstract, propositional knowledge of another person's mental state (Theory of Mind). While the empathic sharing of another's emotions is implemented by those neural networks that also process first-hand emotion, Theory of Mind activates a widespread network that seems to process information independent of its specific modality or content. Crucially, these two routes can function independently as individual differences in the respective capacities and network activations are unrelated and selective impairments in one or the other function occur in psychopathology. However, they may coactivate and co-operate in complex social situations, determining how prosocially interactive behaviour unfolds.

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“…However, this does not mean that those changes played a key causal role in our ability to speak, or the inability of nonhuman primates to imitate human speech (or produce similar complex vocalizations of their own). For that, changes in the neural circuitry for speech control were necessary ( 28 – 30 ). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%