Evolution of language

Question 1

What are the three components of language?

Answer 1

semantics, syntax and phonology

Question 2

What part of speech makes us be able to imagine things that dont exist through communication?

Answer 2

Semantics

Question 3

What is vocal learning?

Answer 3

Ability to acquire new sounds by imitation and to be able to modify them in order to produce new sounds

Question 4

What are three animals that are the best at vocal learning?

Answer 4

human, dolphin,seal

Question 5

An example of semantics in animals?

Answer 5

Eagle , leopard, snake call in monkeys

Question 6

What animal can use syntax?

Answer 6

Canary

Question 7

What makes the human language better than other animal communication systems?

Answer 7

Capacity of recursion

Question 8

What is the difference between the auditory developmental learning in humans and birds?

Answer 8

Birds are exposed to sensory input less than humans and they dont get time after their sensorimotor phase to be exposed again

Question 9

in what other animal is baby talk found?

Answer 9

Zebra finches

Question 10

How did vocal learning evolve?

Answer 10

Through convergent evolution (analogy)

Question 11

What is convergent evolution?

Answer 11

When unrelated species get similar adaptations because of the same environmental necessity

Question 12

What are Tinbergen’s four questions?

Answer 12

1) Mechanism
2) Development (ontogeny)
3) Evolution
4) Function (for survival)

Question 13

What is an extra brain region important for human language?

Answer 13

Arcuate fasc.

Question 14

How is human arcuate fasciculus better?

Answer 14

Bigger tract (more fibers), more lateralised tracts

Question 15

What happens if you destroy the arcuate fasc.?

Answer 15

No repetition

Question 16

How is the human brain better adapted to vocalizations with the larynx (3 reasons)

Answer 16

1) Laryngeal motor cortex is located in the motor cortex not in the premotor cortex
2) laryngeal motor cortex has two parts instead of one
3) LMC is directly connected to the nucleus ambiguous while for the other apes it has another synapse in the reticular formation

Question 17

Who else is good at vocalizations and what is the reason?

Answer 17

birds, because like humans they have a direct connection to the nucleus ambiguus

Question 18

Who is the only animal that proved to have theory of mind?

Answer 18

dog

Question 19

What is the theory of mind?

Answer 19

The capacity to understand other people by assigning mental states to them

Question 20

What other test apart of theory of mind is used to test cognition?

Answer 20

gaze following

Question 21

What is key to understanding the evolution of language?

Answer 21

recursion and merge

Question 22

What are the two most important theories in language evolution?

Answer 22

The continuity and discontinuity theory

Question 23

What does the continuity theory say?

Answer 23

language evolved through a protolanguage (homo erectus)

Question 24

What states the discontinuity theory and on what languages is it based on?

Answer 24

A mutation in one generation changed the language from something like pidgin to creole