The Human Revolution [and Comments and Reply]

Hockett, Charles F.; Ascher, Robert; Agogino, George A.; Birdwhistell, Ray L.; Bryan, Alan L.; Clark, John; Coon, Carleton S.; Count, Earl W.; Cresswell, Robert; Diebold, A. Richard; Dobzhansky, Theodosius; Givens, R. Dale; Hewes, Gordon W.; Lehiste, Ilse; Mead, Margaret; Montagu, Ashley; Mukarovsky, Hans G.; Pfeiffer, John R.; Pottier, Bernard; Schultz, Adolph H.; Smith, Henry Lee; Swauger, James L.; Trager, George L.; Verstraelen, Eugene; Wescott, Roger W.

doi:10.1086/200477

Cited by 171 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…3Three Schematized Approaches to Language Evolution The "puctuationist" approach posits a trait appearing de novo, without functionally-relevant precursor traits; the "naïve evolutionist" perspective assumes evolutionary continuity of function, and gradual expansion of the trait; the "pre-adaptationist" perspective posits a novel recombination of pre-existing traits, perhaps with expansion

Naïve Evolutionist: The first perspective stresses continuity in a communication system over human evolutionary history. Although the “precursor” system is typically considered to be primate vocal communication (e.g., Hockett and Ascher 1964; MacNeilage 1998; Dunbar 2003), many scholars have argued instead for continuity in gestural communication (Hewes 1973; Armstrong et al 1995; Corballis 2003; Arbib 2005; Tomasello and Call 2007). But in all cases, the idea is that this precursor system became richer and more elaborate, gradually approaching the complexity of modern human language, with no abrupt changes or truly novel features being posited.

…”

Section: Part Three: Adaptation and Constraint In Human Cognitive Evomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the “precursor” system is typically considered to be primate vocal communication (e.g., Hockett and Ascher 1964; MacNeilage 1998; Dunbar 2003), many scholars have argued instead for continuity in gestural communication (Hewes 1973; Armstrong et al 1995; Corballis 2003; Arbib 2005; Tomasello and Call 2007). But in all cases, the idea is that this precursor system became richer and more elaborate, gradually approaching the complexity of modern human language, with no abrupt changes or truly novel features being posited.…”

Section: Part Three: Adaptation and Constraint In Human Cognitive Evomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Or is language, in contrast, a hodge-podge of ancient mechanisms, tinkered together into a barely-functional Rube Goldberg device (Jacob 1977), an example of what Francis Crick called a “frozen accident” (Crick 1968)? Is human language best characterized by its continuity with other aspects of cognition and/or communication, and preexisting primate precursors (Hockett and Ascher 1964), or is discontinuity the rule (Premack 2007)? Are some aspects of language, such as the Merge operation of syntax, characterized by near-perfect optimality in a way that cannot be explained via evolutionary “tinkering” (Chomsky 2010)?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology and Human Language Evolution: Constraints on Adaptation

Fitch

2012

Evol Biol

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A tension has long existed between those biologists who emphasize the importance of adaptation by natural selection and those who highlight the role of phylogenetic and developmental constraints on organismal form and function. This contrast has been particularly noticeable in recent debates concerning the evolution of human language. Darwin himself acknowledged the existence and importance of both of these, and a long line of biologists have followed him in seeing, in the concept of “descent with modification”, a framework naturally able to incorporate both adaptation and constraint. Today, the integrated perspective of modern evolutionary developmental biology (“evo-devo”) allows a more subtle and pluralistic approach to these traditional questions, and has provided several examples where the traditional notion of “constraint” can be cashed out in specific, mechanistic terms. This integrated viewpoint is particularly relevant to the evolution of the multiple mechanisms underlying human language, because of the short time available for novel aspects of these mechanisms to evolve and be optimized. Comparative data indicate that many cognitive aspects of human language predate humans, suggesting that pre-adaptation and exaptation have played important roles in language evolution. Thus, substantial components of what many linguists call “Universal Grammar” predate language itself. However, at least some of these older mechanisms have been combined in ways that generate true novelty. I suggest that we can insightfully exploit major steps forward in our understanding of evolution and development, to gain a richer understanding of the principles that underlie human language evolution.

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…”

Section: Part Three: Adaptation and Constraint In Human Cognitive Evomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Part Three: Adaptation and Constraint In Human Cognitive Evomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology and Human Language Evolution: Constraints on Adaptation

Fitch

2012

Evol Biol

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“…He was regularly called on as an authoritative and scientifically well-educated spokesperson for linguistics within trends such as communication theory (Hockett 1977:19-52, 71-96) and ethology and ethological psychiatry (Pittenger et al 1960;Hockett 1977:107-123). He became famous for proposing the universal formal and functional "design features" of distinctively human language among all natural signaling systems (1977:124-186), and for his presentation of the evolutionary functions of language in the differentiation of human "culture" among hominoids (Hockett and Ascher 1964).…”

Section: University Of Chicagomentioning

confidence: 99%

Charles Francis Hockett (1916–2000)

Silverstein

2003

American Anthropologist

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“…The change must somehow have been related to the advantage of an increased repertoire and flexibility of sound patterns, not necessarily related to sex or age class. The use of tools obviously played a vital role (20,15). Increase in the subdivision of labor in early human society, such that members of the same sex and age class might assume many different roles, and the need for a signaler to select respondents among the array of possibilities, would create a need for dramatic increase in signal diversity.…”

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confidence: 99%