Laughter as an approach to vocal evolution: The bipedal theory
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA. provine@umbc.edu.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|July 3, 2016
Summary
Human laughter, a unique vocalization, offers insights into vocal evolution. The bipedal theory suggests upright walking enabled breath control, leading to human laughter and speech.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Linguistics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Laughter is a fundamental human vocalization with social, linguistic, and neurological significance.
- Studying laughter's acoustic structure and social context reveals insights into vocal evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the evolutionary basis of human speech by examining laughter.
- To investigate the link between bipedal locomotion and the development of complex vocalizations.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of laughter's acoustic properties.
- Comparative study of vocalizations in humans and other primates.
- Examination of the relationship between respiration, locomotion, and vocal control.
Main Results:
- Human laughter exhibits minimal voluntary control and plays roles in social bonding and mate selection.
- Quadrupedal locomotion constrains vocalizations due to the breathing-stride link.
- Bipedalism freed the respiratory system, allowing for greater breath control and the evolution of human laughter and speech.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of bipedalism is a key factor in the development of human vocal abilities, including laughter and speech.
- Human laughter, a parsed exhalation, represents a crucial step towards the sustained vocalizations of speech.
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