Common origin of linguistic and movement abilities

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Evolutionary Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• The origins of symbolic systems are explored, tracing their roots to cellular processes and unicellular animal behavior.
• The transition from internal cellular regulation to externalized symbol systems for coordinated movement is examined.
• The evolution of multicellular animal brains is viewed as an elaboration of unicellular chemical signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a framework for understanding animal brains as evolving chemical and neural symbol systems.
• To investigate the fundamental principles of symbol emergence in biological systems.
• To determine the adaptive value of symbolic systems for action coordination within and among animals.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of symbol system development from unicellular to multicellular organisms.
• Comparative examination of chemical signaling (hormones) and neural pathways as symbol carriers.
• Conceptual modeling of layered symbolic domains within the brain.

Main Results:

• Symbol systems originate from basic cellular regulation and unicellular behavior, externalized for coordination.
• Multicellular brains represent an elaboration of unicellular chemical symbols, utilizing hormones and nerves.
• Brain processes form complex, layered symbolic domains, moving beyond simple bodily processes.

Conclusions:

• The essential question is not human language evolution, but the biological emergence and utility of symbols.
• Symbols are crucial for coordinating actions within individual animals and facilitating social interactions among animals.
• Understanding symbol systems in biology provides insight into the foundations of cognition and communication.