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Vocal Development as a Guide to Modeling the Evolution of Language.
D Kimbrough Oller1, Ulrike Griebel1, Anne S Warlaumont2
1University of Memphis and Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research.
Topics in Cognitive Science
|March 3, 2016
Summary
This study proposes modeling early vocal development units, like protophones, for language evolution research. This approach addresses infant communication and the necessary steps toward vocal language in hominins.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Evolutionary Biology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Current language evolution models focus on mature units (phonemes, words), neglecting early developmental stages.
- Infants' inability to produce mature language features limits existing models of early language acquisition and evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose targeting early vocal development units (protophones) in evolutionary modeling.
- To account for the dynamic changes in early communicative units of form and function over time.
- To initiate computational modeling of language evolution from the hominin-chimp/bonobo split.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing protophones and their primitive illocutionary/perlocutionary forces as targets for evolutionary modeling.
- Analyzing the interactive contributions of sender (infants) and receiver (caregivers) in a feedback loop.
- Proposing computational modeling starting from the hominin divergence from the primate communicative background.
Main Results:
- Protophones represent likely units of hominin vocalization/communication post-lineage split.
- Early development of spontaneous vocal capability is essential for subsequent vocal language development.
- Interactive feedback loops between infants and caregivers are crucial for both development and evolution.
Conclusions:
- Modeling language evolution requires focusing on early vocal units like protophones, not just mature language.
- Understanding the infant-caregiver feedback loop is key to modeling language evolution.
- Computational models should begin at the hominin-primate communicative divergence to capture early stages.
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