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Where did language come from? Precursor mechanisms in nonhuman primates
1Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences
|February 20, 2019
Summary
While monkey brains share similarities with human brains, they lack the sophisticated vocal-articulatory system necessary for speech. This complex human sensorimotor network enables advanced sequence processing for language.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Evolutionary Biology
- Linguistics
Background:
- The human and monkey brain's auditory systems show remarkable anatomical and functional similarity, featuring dual ventral and dorsal processing streams.
- Despite these similarities, monkeys lack the capacity for spoken language, a long-standing puzzle in comparative neuroscience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolutionary divergence in sensorimotor systems that underlies the human capacity for language.
- To identify the specific adaptations in primates that differentiate human speech capabilities from other primates.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of primate brain architecture, focusing on auditory and vocal-articulatory systems.
- Evolutionary perspective examining key developments from nonhuman to human primates.
Main Results:
- The human vocal-articulatory system is a highly evolved sensorimotor network with numerous effectors, unique among species.
- This specialized human system provides the foundation for complex auditory communication and sequence processing.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of a sophisticated vocal-articulatory system is a critical factor distinguishing human language ability from that of monkeys.
- This human sensorimotor network underpins the sequence processing essential for phonology and syntax in modern languages.
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