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Language evolution and human history: what a difference a date makes.

Russell D Gray1, Quentin D Atkinson, Simon J Greenhill

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. rd.gray@auckland.ac.nz

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|March 2, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Computational phylogenetic methods can reliably estimate language divergence dates, integrating linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, and genetics for historical inference. This approach overcomes limitations of traditional methods for understanding human prehistory.

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Area of Science:

  • Historical Linguistics
  • Computational Phylogenetics
  • Anthropology

Background:

  • Integrating diverse evidence (linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, genetics) is crucial for robust historical inference.
  • Traditional linguistic methods offer relative chronologies but lack absolute dating capabilities.
  • Glottochronology, an alternative dating method, has proven fundamentally flawed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline a computational phylogenetic approach for reliably estimating language divergence dates.
  • To enable the integration of linguistic data with other historical evidence.
  • To resolve long-standing debates in human prehistory.

Main Methods:

  • Application of computational phylogenetic methods to linguistic data.
  • Estimation of absolute language divergence dates.
  • Integration of linguistic data with anthropological, archaeological, and genetic evidence.

Main Results:

  • Demonstration of reliable estimation of language divergence dates using computational phylogenetics.
  • Provides a framework for integrating linguistic evidence with other historical datasets.
  • Offers a robust method to address historical debates.

Conclusions:

  • Computational phylogenetics offers a reliable solution for dating language divergence.
  • This method enhances historical inference by integrating multiple lines of evidence.
  • Resolves key questions in human prehistory, from Indo-European origins to Pacific settlement.