Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

27.4K
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
27.4K
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

865
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
865
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

5.8K
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
5.8K
Qualitative Analysis01:10

Qualitative Analysis

1.7K
Qualitative analysis is the process of identifying elements, ions, or compounds in an unknown sample. It is the first and most fundamental type of analysis based on the hierarchy of analytical goals. This hierarchy is significant as it provides a structured approach to scientific research, with qualitative analysis serving as the initial step, providing essential information before moving on to quantitative or other forms of analysis.
There are two main approaches to qualitative analysis:...
1.7K
Qualitative Analysis03:46

Qualitative Analysis

21.6K
For solutions containing mixtures of different cations, the identity of each cation can be determined by qualitative analysis. This technique involves a series of selective precipitations with different chemical reagents, each reaction producing a characteristic precipitate for a specific group of cations. Metal ions within a group are further separated by varying the pH, heating the mixture to redissolve a precipitate, or adding other reagents to form complex ions.
For instance, group IV...
21.6K
Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

838
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs.
838

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Early Vocal Development in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Predicts Language but Not Autism Outcomes.

Pediatric neurology·2026
Same author

Timing of Intervals Between Utterances in Typically Developing Infants and Infants Later Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Brain sciences·2025
Same author

Parentese Elicits Infant Speech-Like Vocalizations in Typically Developing and Autistic Infants.

Infancy : the official journal of the International Society on Infant Studies·2025
Same author

The robustness of speech-like vocalization in typically developing infants and infants with autism.

Research in developmental disabilities·2025
Same author

Frequencies and functions of vocalizations and gestures in the second year of life.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Acoustic features of vocalizations in typically developing and autistic infants in the first year.

Research in developmental disabilities·2024
Same journal

Mind Everywhere: A Framework for Conceptualizing Goal-Directedness in Biology and Other Domains-Part Two.

Biological theory·2026
Same journal

Mind Everywhere: A Framework for Conceptualizing Goal-Directedness in Biology and Other Domains-Part One.

Biological theory·2026
Same journal

Evolution, Complexity, and Life History Theory.

Biological theory·2025
Same journal

The Limits of Our Explanation: A Case Study in <i>Myxococcus xanthus</i> Cooperation.

Biological theory·2025
Same journal

Agency as an Inherent Property of Living Organisms.

Biological theory·2024
Same journal

Context Matters: A Response to Autzen and Okasha's Reply to Takacs and Bourrat.

Biological theory·2024
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
08:05

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Published on: June 30, 2020

6.1K

On Quantitative Comparative Research in Communication and Language Evolution.

D Kimbrough Oller1, Ulrike Griebel2

  • 1School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA, & Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.

Biological Theory
|October 7, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

An infrastructural approach offers a new way to compare human language and animal communication. It suggests illocution, not referentiality, provides a better basis for quantifiable comparisons between species.

Keywords:
Animal communicationAustinCommunicationIllocutionLanguage evolutionPerlocutionReferentialitySemantics

More Related Videos

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains
07:14

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains

Published on: January 16, 2026

405
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
08:05

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques

Published on: June 30, 2020

6.1K
A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains
07:14

A Comparative Approach for Quantitative Cell Counting Studies in Widely Different Mammalian Brains

Published on: January 16, 2026

405
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
04:52

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

Published on: February 3, 2023

1.2K

Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Animal Behavior
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Quantitative comparison of human language and animal communication faces conceptual challenges.
  • Existing frameworks, like functional referentiality, may not be suitable for cross-species analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose an infrastructural approach for comparing human language and animal communication.
  • To re-evaluate the concept of functional referentiality in the context of alarm calls.
  • To identify commonalities and quantifiable comparison points between human and animal communication.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing an extended interpretation of Austin's (1962) speech act theory (illocution, perlocution, meaning).
  • Applying an infrastructural perspective to the development and evolution of communication systems.
  • Analyzing evidence from animal communication (e.g., vervet monkey alarm calls) and human infant vocalizations.

Main Results:

  • Functional referentiality is proposed as a weak basis for quantitative comparison across species.
  • Newborn human cries can meet criteria for functional referentiality, challenging its distinctiveness.
  • Illocution reveals a significant area of commonality between human language and animal communication.

Conclusions:

  • An infrastructural approach provides a more productive framework for comparing communication systems.
  • Focusing on illocution enables more meaningful, quantifiable cross-species comparisons.
  • Two specific infrastructural communicative capabilities are identified for direct quantitative study.