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Related Concept Videos

Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

375
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.
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Language Development01:22

Language Development

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Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
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Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

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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.
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Language01:16

Language

411
Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
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Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

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Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
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Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 1, 2025

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

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When less is more in the evolution of language.

Harold Gouzoules1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|August 11, 2022
PubMed
Summary

The loss of vocal fold membranes in humans, unlike nonhuman primates, may have been crucial for enabling complex human speech. This evolutionary change in vocal fold structure is key to understanding speech origins.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Comparative anatomy
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • Nonhuman primates possess vocal fold membranes, which differ from the human vocal fold structure.
  • The evolution of human speech is a complex phenomenon with debated origins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether the absence of vocal fold membranes in humans facilitated the development of speech.
  • To explore the anatomical differences in vocal folds between humans and nonhuman primates.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of vocal fold anatomy in humans and representative nonhuman primate species.
  • Review of existing literature on primate vocalizations and human speech evolution.

Main Results:

  • Human vocal folds lack the stratified membranes found in nonhuman primates.

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  • The absence of these membranes may allow for greater vocal fold flexibility and vibratory patterns necessary for speech.

    • Conclusions:

    • The evolutionary loss of vocal fold membranes is a potential key adaptation that enabled human speech.
    • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the role of vocal fold structure in speech evolution.