The evolution of speech: a comparative review

Fitch, W. Tecumseh

doi:10.1016/s1364-6613(00)01494-7

Cited by 620 publications

(490 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Thus, discussions of possible differences have focused on speech output. The essential functioning of the human lungs, larynx, and tongue is again shared very broadly with other mammals, from bats to elephants, both in terms of anatomy and regarding the physics and physiology of vocal production (Fitch, 2000b;Herbst et al, 2012;Taylor & Reby, 2010). The human tongue is similar in anatomy to that in other apes (Takemoto, 2008), and we now know that a mild descent of the larynx and hyoid bone occurs in chimpanzees (Nishimura, Mikami, Suzuki, & Matsuzawa, 2006).…”

Section: The Shared Foundationsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Empirical approaches to the study of language evolution

2017

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The study of language evolution, and human cognitive evolution more generally, has often been ridiculed as unscientific, but in fact it differs little from many other disciplines that investigate past events, such as geology or cosmology. Well-crafted models of language evolution make numerous testable hypotheses, and if the principles of strong inference (simultaneous testing of multiple plausible hypotheses) are adopted, there is an increasing amount of relevant data allowing empirical evaluation of such models. The articles in this special issue provide a concise overview of current models of language evolution, emphasizing the testable predictions that they make, along with overviews of the many sources of data available to test them (emphasizing comparative, neural, and genetic data). The key challenge facing the study of language evolution is not a lack of data, but rather a weak commitment to hypothesistesting approaches and strong inference, exacerbated by the broad and highly interdisciplinary nature of the relevant data. This introduction offers an overview of the field, and a summary of what needed to evolve to provide our species with language-ready brains. It then briefly discusses different contemporary models of language evolution, followed by an overview of different sources of data to test these models. I conclude with my own multistage model of how different components of language could have evolved.

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Section: The Shared Foundationsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Empirical approaches to the study of language evolution

2017

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“…Doupe & Kuhl, 1999;Fitch, 2000;Marler, 1976;Nottebohm, 1976). Perhaps surprisingly, the parallels with language have received far more attention (Marler, 2000).…”

Section: Parallels Between Birdsong Language and Musicmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because vocal music does not fossilize, nor do the soft tissue structures of the vocal tract, there is little more to be said about the phylogenetic history and timing of the origins of vocal music than about the evolution of speech (for a concise review see Fitch, 2000). A recently discovered fossil indicator of a potential change in neural control of vocalization in humans is that modern humans have a larger thoracic vertebral canal than other primates (MacLarnon & Hewitt, 1999).…”

Section: Vocal Adaptations For Songmentioning

confidence: 99%

The biology and evolution of music: A comparative perspective

2006

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Studies of the biology of music (as of language) are highly interdisciplinary and demand the integration of diverse strands of evidence. In this paper, I present a comparative perspective on the biology and evolution of music, stressing the value of comparisons both with human language, and with those animal communication systems traditionally termed ''song''. A comparison of the ''design features'' of music with those of language reveals substantial overlap, along with some important differences. Most of these differences appear to stem from semantic, rather than structural, factors, suggesting a shared formal core of music and language. I next review various animal communication systems that appear related to human music, either by analogy (bird and whale ''song'') or potential homology (great ape bimanual drumming). A crucial comparative distinction is between learned, complex signals (like language, music and birdsong) and unlearned signals (like laughter, ape calls, or bird calls). While human vocalizations clearly build upon an acoustic and emotional foundation shared with other primates and mammals, vocal learning has evolved independently in our species since our divergence with chimpanzees. The convergent evolution of vocal learning in other species offers a powerful window into psychological and neural constraints influencing the evolution of complex signaling systems (including both song and speech), while ape drumming presents a fascinating potential homology with human instrumental music. I next discuss the archeological data relevant to music evolution, concluding on the basis of prehistoric bone flutes that instrumental music is at least 40,000 years old, and perhaps much older. I end with a brief review of adaptive functions proposed for music, concluding that no one selective force (e.g., sexual selection) is adequate to explaining all aspects of human music. I suggest that questions about ARTICLE IN PRESSthe past function of music are unlikely to be answered definitively and are thus a poor choice as a research focus for biomusicology. In contrast, a comparative approach to music promises rich dividends for our future understanding of the biology and evolution of music.

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“…Over the years much evidence has accumulated to support the idea that aspects of our genetic makeup are critical for acquisition of spoken language [8]. Clearly some of the crucial changes are related to anatomical constraints [9]. For example, genetically encoded modifications of vocal tract morphology, which give us a longer oral cavity and lower larynx than other primates, are crucial for modern human speech, allowing us to produce a dramatically increased repertoire of sounds [9].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Clearly some of the crucial changes are related to anatomical constraints [9]. For example, genetically encoded modifications of vocal tract morphology, which give us a longer oral cavity and lower larynx than other primates, are crucial for modern human speech, allowing us to produce a dramatically increased repertoire of sounds [9]. However, there are also likely to be genetic changes that impact on aspects of neurological development, including those that underlie our capacity for enhanced motor control over the articulators, as well as those that contribute to higher order cognitive processing involved in language acquisition and use [8].…”

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confidence: 99%

FOXP2 in focus: what can genes tell us about speech and language?

Marcus

Fisher

2003

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

171

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The human capacity for acquiring speech and language must derive, at least in part, from the genome. In 2001, a study described the first case of a gene, FOXP2, which is thought to be implicated in our ability to acquire spoken language. In the present article, we discuss how this gene was discovered, what it might do, how it relates to other genes, and what it could tell us about the nature of speech and language development. We explain how FOXP2 could, without being specific to the brain or to our own species, still provide an invaluable entry-point into understanding the genetic cascades and neural pathways that contribute to our capacity for speech and language.

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The evolution of speech: a comparative review

Cited by 620 publications

References 59 publications

Empirical approaches to the study of language evolution

Empirical approaches to the study of language evolution

The biology and evolution of music: A comparative perspective

FOXP2 in focus: what can genes tell us about speech and language?

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