What is language?
Animal communication studies
Primates communication
Evolution of speech
Wildcard?!
100
An example of linguistic competence and linguistic performance.
What is, e.g., English stress patterns and speaking Latin?
100
The focus of early animal communication studies.
What are:
- People as animals evolved from animals
- Anecdotes
- Mental continuity
- Comparative psychology?
100
First order vs. second order intentional system.
What are:
•First order intentional system: a signal produced to influence the behavior of others Ex. monkeys “crying wolf”
•Second order intentional system: intention to influence others’ knowledge or state of self/others’ awareness? Theory of mind? No evidence yet…
100
The comparative approach and convergent evolution.
What are:
• Data from closely related n-h primates to deduce the behavioral abilities (and adaptive functions) of extinct common answers, e.g., timing of innovation of physiological mechanisms (vocal acoustics and anatomy) and neural mechanisms (control and imitation); Goal: Identify homologies – characteristics shared by common descent
• Similar traits evolve independently in different species (probably because of similar selective forces) that give clues for what morphological/behavioral processes are “designed” to solve (e.g., vocal imitation and the role of learning)
100
Chomsky’s view on the ability to talk?
What is the nature argument? Ex. a language acquisition device (LAD) in the brain.
200
The speech communication chain.
What are:
•Information source
•Transmitter
•Signal
•Receiver
•Destination?
200
The focus of first generation animal communication studies.
What are:
- Behavioristic studies
- Instrumental conditioning?
200
The vocalization systems of vervet monkeys.
What are...
•Different alarm calls (at least 3 things to say)
•Type of predator
•Intensity: louder, longer
•Social organization: different responses! Ex. reliability
•Sharing the news?
200
Neural differences between humans and n-h primates.
What are
- hierarchical organization of speech segments
- enhanced motor control over articulators
- ability for vocal imitation?
200
These have been linked to the origin and development of human language.
What are...
- Use of tools
- Lowering of the larynx
- Social roles and organization
- FOXP2 gene?
300
The linguistic components of signed languages.
What are:
- phonology
- morphology
- syntax
- semantics?
300
The focus of second generation animal communication studies.
What are:
- Cognitive studies
- Animals as goal-seeking agents
- Stimuli presented through technology
300
The species with richer gestural systems and fewer vocalizations.
What are: Apes
- Chimpanzees
- Gorillas
- Bonobos?
300
Vocal tract differences between humans and non-human primates.
What are...
• humans make heavy use of formants - single most important acoustic parameter in speech
• The descent of the larynx! =wider range of formants,=more vocal tract shapes
• Speech perception
• Loss of laryngeal air sacs?
300
Speech vs. language.
What is...
- auditory-vocal
- easier to study
- has been studied with the comparative approach
- has been studied in terms of convergent evolution
400
The key differences between language and communication.
What are: 1) communication is is virtually universal among living things, 2) communication is something we do, and 3) language is a tool?
400
General taxonomy of (non-)human primate order and common characteristics of primates.
What are: ?
400
The gestural vs. vocalization systems of apes.
What are...
• facial expressions to illicit responses from others
• gait
• social grooming
• signs taught by humans
• use of objects (e.g., leaves for self-medication, leaving a trail for others)
• fewer vocalizations (e.g., for mating, care-giving, food)?
400
Possibilities for function(s) of vocal imitation.
What are:
- Possibility #1: Adaptive for “meaningless” complexity? Then co-opted for learning large vocabulary for language?
- Possibility #2: Group membership indicator = Dialects shared by a community, social group, or family, especially those with social cooperation/competition
- Possibility #3: Domain-general mimetic ability in modern humans = We imitate everything… expressions, dances, cooking, fashion styles…?
400
The source/filter theory.
What is:
- acoustic energy creates pitch
- bandpass filters or formants block/transmit certain frequencies
- the vocal tract length or shape affects vocal sounds
- the filter is independent of pitch
- differences in formants are very salient for humans?
500
12 design features of language.
What are:
- Modality
- Semanticity
- Pragmatic function
- Interchangeability
- Cultural transmission
- Abritrariness
- Discreteness
- Displacement
- Productivity
- Prevarication
- Learnability
- Reflexiveness ?
500
Major issues in the study of animal communication.
What are: 1) humans tendency to anthropomorphize, 2) over-theorizing > simple explanations, 3) giving subconscious cues to animals ("Clever Hans" phenomenon)?
500
Difference in sound production between n-h primates and humans?
What are:
• Similar anatomy and physiology of vocal organs, including larger larynx, but with less control over vocal colds
• Different patterns of sound-source production (fundamental frequency, on/off temporal pattern of vocalization)
• Significant filtering differences (Nasopharynx is typically coupled into the vocal tract, Straight line between oral cavity and pharynx, Phonetic range of non-nasal sounds limited)
• main articulator: lips
500
Possibilities for the evolution of vocal production.
What are:
•Possibility #1: “Phonetic expansion” hypothesis = a low larynx allows for a wider phonetic space
•Possibility #2: “bipedal by-product” = Non-adaptive result of upright posture
•Possibility #3: Size exaggeration hypothesis =animals with lowered larynx can imitate larger animal vocalizations that lack this feature?
500
Three animal communication systems that highlight "gray areas" in the design features of language.
What are: honey bees (displacement), gorillas (displacement), birds (learnability, discreteness), prairie dogs, vervet monkeys, birds (semanticity, productivity), vervet monkeys (semanticity), apes, birds (prevarication), cetaceans, birds (cultural transmission)?