Communication Flashcards
DeCasien 2017
Study used a large sample of primates, recent phylogenies and advanced statistics to prove tgat brain size is actually predicted by diet not sociability (fruigivores exhibit larger brains than folivores).
Arnold and Zuberbuhler 2008
Pyow-Hack sequences result in greater movement than pyows or hacks alone in putty nosed monkeys. Responses were the same for artificial and natural sequences showing call itself did not have a self determined meaning.
Zuberbuhler 1999
Female Diana monkeys show habituation when both the sound of a call was identical AND when the semantic content of the call was identical. This indicates the calls evoke some kind of mental representation and processing beyond simple accoustic features.
Dunbar 1988
Social brain hypothesis. Support: neocortex volume predicts social group size in new and old world monkeys. Group size is constrained by information processing capacity e.g. memory for faces
Emery and Clayton 2004
Corvids have similar cognitive tools e.g. causal reasoning, flexibility and imagination to apes. They also are capable of complex non-verbal cognition suitable for their niche. Examples: crows manufacture tools, Jays track the quality of perishable food.
Slocombe 2012
Research into vocal ape communication is lacking. Chimps produce distinct, referential grunts relating to food quality. Chimp vocalisations are sensitive to complex social factors e.g. group composition.
Fredurek and Slocombe 2011
Primate vocal abilities for function referance, call combination and complex comprehension may represent precursers to linguistic abilities. However, there is a discontinuity between human and ape abilities. Apes have a more fixed vocal repertoire.
Hockett 1960
9/13 basic design features of communication present in humans also present in non human primates and likely protohominoids.
Blending could have been the way in which the closed ape system became more open and productive.
Some features are still uniquely human.
Schel et al 2013
Chimps produce socially directed alarm calls that were given on the arrival of friends, associated with gaze monitoring, associated with gaze alternations and goal directed. Indicates first order intentionality.
Corballis 2009
Language evolved from gesture. Evidence:
- Great apes better at learning intentional gesture communication
- Manual gestures in chimps more flexible
- Mirror neuron system could be a platform for language evolution.
Pollick and DeWaal 2007
Chimps and Bonobos used gestures more flexibly accross contexts than vocalisations or facial expressions.
Gestures used more flexibly accross species.
Genty and Byrne 2010
Repeated gesture sequences are not found to increase the liklihood of response in gorillas. Sequences were used more frequently in play and may regulate play
Pika et al 2005
Gestural communication may be a precurser to human language than vocal communication.
Chimp gestures typically dyadic and imperative and learnt through ritualisation.
All great apes have flexible gestural repertoires and exhibit social learning and audience effects. This indicates intentional production. There is little evidence for symbolic reference.
Tomasello 1994
Kanzi- shows advantage of human cultural environment
Arbib et al 2008
Gestures used more flexibly in different contexts. Variable gesture repertoires between groups. Ape communication demonstrates greater flexibility of hand and body than vocalisations.
