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Pantomimic fossils in modern human communication.

Przemysław Żywiczyński1, Sławomir Wacewicz1, Casey Lister2

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Summary

Bodily mimesis, or using the body representationally, enabled early humans to develop unique communication through pantomime. This ancient form of communication, or pantomimic fossils, persists today when spoken language is not possible.

Keywords:
evolution of communicationmimesispantomimesemioticssigned-based communication

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary anthropology
  • Linguistics
  • Cognitive science

Background:

  • Bodily mimesis represents a key evolutionary step in human communication and cognition.
  • Early human communication involved signs with an expression, object, and interpreter.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the origins and evolution of bodily mimesis in human communication.
  • To analyze the role of pantomime in transmitting referential information.
  • To investigate the persistence and function of pantomime in modern human interaction.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of the structure of early human communication based on representational signs.
  • Examination of the properties of pantomime, particularly iconic signs.
  • Review of naturalistic and experimental data on contemporary pantomime use.

Main Results:

  • Pantomime, as a core component of bodily mimesis, conveyed referential information beyond the immediate context.
  • Pressures for expressivity and economy led to the conventionalization of signs, fostering linguistic features.
  • Pantomime continues to be actively used by modern humans as 'pantomimic fossils' in situations where language is limited.

Conclusions:

  • Bodily mimesis and pantomime were foundational to human language development.
  • Pantomime remains a vital communication tool, especially in cross-linguistic or language-impaired contexts.
  • Persistent use of pantomime can lead to the development of language-like characteristics.