The Evolution of Language: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference (Evolang XIII)

De Boer, Bart; Jadoul, Yannick; Mudd, Katie; Ravignani, Andrea; Towns, Ross; Van Soom, Marnix

doi:10.17617/2.3190925

Cited by 5 publications

References 12 publications

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Cognitive Linguistics and Language Evolution

Pleyer,

Hartmann

2024

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The evolution of language has developed into a large research field. Two questions are particularly relevant for this strand of research: firstly, how did the human capacity for language emerge? And secondly, which processes of cultural evolution are involved both in the evolution of human language from non-linguistic communication and in the continued evolution of human languages? Much research on language evolution that addresses these two questions is highly compatible with the usage-based approach to language pursued in cognitive linguistics. Focusing on key topics such as comparing human language and animal communication, experimental approaches to language evolution, and evolutionary dynamics in language, this Element gives an overview of the current state-of-the-art of language evolution research and discusses how cognitive linguistics and research on the evolution of language can cross-fertilise each other. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

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Cognitive Linguistics and Language Evolution

Pleyer,

Hartmann

2024

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Differential Survival In Carrion Crows Through Eavesdropping on Human Speech: An Agent-Based Model

Schalz

2023

Preprint

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Wild carrion crows eavesdrop on human speech and respond more strongly to it than to the calls of pigeons or parakeets. However, it remains unclear whether this behaviour provides any benefit to them, and if so, under which environmental conditions such a benefit could be expected. I used an agent-based model to examine the effect of eavesdropping on the survival of a carrion crow under different environmental conditions. The crow could gain points from foraging, but also had to avoid encounters with a human in order to not lose points. In addition to eavesdropping, it could visually scan the patch for human presence and, once detected, could keep track of the humans location. I found that eavesdropping led to higher final scores and higher rates of survival than visual scanning alone if the human density on the patch was elevated, or if there were visual obstacles reducing the accuracy of visual scans. Such environmental conditions are particularly common for urban crows foraging in areas such as public parks. The model provides a proof of concept for future empirical research into the potentially differential survival of urban crows eavesdropping on speech.

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Shared Context Facilitates Lexical Variation in Sign Language Emergence

2022

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It has been suggested that social structure affects the degree of lexical variation in sign language emergence. Evidence from signing communities supports this, with smaller, more insular communities typically displaying a higher degree of lexical variation compared to larger, more dispersed and diverse communities. Though several factors have been proposed to affect the degree of variation, here we focus on how shared context, facilitating the use of iconic signs, facilitates the retention of lexical variation in language emergence. As interlocutors with the same background have similar salient features for real world concepts, shared context allows for the successful communication of iconic mappings between form and culturally salient features (i.e., the meaning specific to an individual based on their cultural context). Because in this case the culturally salient features can be retrieved from the form, there is less pressure to converge on a single form for a concept. We operationalize the relationship between lexical variation and iconic affordances using an agent-based model, studying how shared context and also population size affects the degree of lexical variation in a population of agents. Our model provides support for the relationship between shared context, population size and lexical variation, though several extensions would help improve the explanatory power of this model.

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The Evolution of Language: Proceedings of the 13th International Conference (Evolang XIII)

Cited by 5 publications

References 12 publications

Cognitive Linguistics and Language Evolution

Cognitive Linguistics and Language Evolution

Differential Survival In Carrion Crows Through Eavesdropping on Human Speech: An Agent-Based Model

Shared Context Facilitates Lexical Variation in Sign Language Emergence

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