Hermann Ackermann, Wolfram Ziegler
Audra Ames, Sara Wielandt, Dianne Cameron, Stan Kuczaj
David Ardell, Noelle Anderson, Bodo Winter
Rie Asano, Edward Ruoyang Shi
Mark Atkinson, Kenny Smith, Simon Kirby
Andreas Baumann, Christina Prömer, Kamil Kazmierski, Nikolaus Ritt
Christian Bentz
Aleksandrs Berdicevskis, Hanne Eckhoff
Richard A. Blythe, Alistair H. Jones, Jessica Renton
Cedric Boeckx, Constantina Theofanopoulou, Antonio Benítez-Burraco
Megan Broadway, Jamie Klaus, Billie Serafin, Heidi Lyn
Jon W. Carr, Kenny Smith, Hannah Cornish, Simon Kirby
Federica Cavicchio, Livnat Leemor, Simone Shamay-Tsoory, Wendy Sandler
Zanna Clay, Jahmaira Archbold, Klaus Zuberbuhler
Katie Collier, Andrew N. Radford, Balthasar Bickel, Marta B. Manser, Simon W. Townsend
Jennifer Culbertson, Simon Kirby, Marieke Schouwstra
Christine Cuskley, Vittorio Loreto
Christine Cuskley, Bernardo Monechi, Pietro Gravino, Vittorio Loreto
Dan Dediu, Scott Moisik
Sabrina Engesser, Amanda R. Ridley, Simon W. Townsend
Dankmar Enke, Roland Mühlenbernd, Igor Yanovich
Kerem Eryilmaz, Hannah Little, Bart de Boer
Nicolas Fay, Shane Rogers
Maryia Fedzechkina, Becky Chu, T. Florian Jaeger, John Trueswell
Olga Feher, Kenny Smith, Elizabeth Wonnacott, Nikolaus Ritt
Piera Filippi, Sebastian Ocklenburg, Daniel Liu Bowling, Larissa Heege, Albert Newen, Onur Güntürkün, Bart de Boer
Piera Filippi, Jenna V. Congdon, John Hoang, Daniel Liu Bowling, Stephan Reber, Andrius Pašukonis, Marisa Hoeschele, Sebastian Ocklenburg, Bart de Boer, Christopher B. Sturdy, Albert Newen, Onur GÜntÜrkÜn
Molly Flaherty, Katelyn Stangl, Susan Goldin-Meadow
Marlen Fröhlich, Paul H Kuchenbuch, Gudrun Müller, Barbara Fruth, Takeshi Furuichi, Roman M Wittig, Simone Pika
Victor Gay, Daniel Hicks, Estefania Santacreu-Vasut
Andreea Geambasu, Michelle J. Spierings, Carel ten Cate, Clara C. Levelt
Matt Hall, Russell Richie, Marie Coppola
Stefan Hartmann, Peeter Tinits, Jonas Nölle, Thomas Hartmann, Michael Pleyer
Wolfram Hinzen, Joana Rosselló
Rick Janssen, Bodo Winter, Dan Dediu, Scott Moisik, Sean Roberts
Rick Janssen, Dan Dediu, Scott Moisik
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Deborah Kerr, Kenny Smith
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Molly Lewis, Michael C. Frank
Casey Lister, Tiarn Burtenshaw, Nicolas Fay, Bradley Walker, Jeneva Ohan
Hannah Little, Kerem Eryılmaz, Bart de Boer
Hannah Little, Kerem Eryılmaz, Bart de Boer
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Heidi Lyn, Stephanie Jett, Megan Broadway, Mystera Samuelson
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Adrien Meguerditchian, Damien Marie, Konstantina Margiotoudi, Scott A. Love, Alice Bertello, Romain Lacoste, Muriel Roth, Bruno Nazarian, Jean-Luc Anton, Olivier Coulon
Jérôme Michaud
Ashley Micklos
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Yasamin Motamedi, Marieke Schouwstra, Kenny Smith, Simon Kirby
Roland Mühlenbernd, Johannes Wahle
Tomoya Nakai, Kazuo Okanoya
Savithry Namboodiripad, Daniel Lenzen, Ryan Lepic, Tessa Verhoef
Alan Nielsen, Dieuwke Hupkes, Simon Kirby, Kenny Smith
Bill Noble, Raquel Fernández
Irene M. Pepperberg, Katia Zilber-Izhar, Scott Smith
Lynn Perry, Marcus Perlman, Gary Lupyan, Bodo Winter, Dominic Massaro
Ljiljana Progovac
Andrea Ravignani, Tania Delgado, Simon Kirby
Terry Regier, Alexandra Carstensen, Charles Kemp
Lilia Rissman, Laura Horton, Molly Flaherty, Marie Coppola, Annie Senghas, Diane Brentari, Susan Goldin-Meadow
Gareth Roberts, Mariya Fedzechkina
Carmen Saldana, Simon Kirby, Kenny Smith
Carlos Santana
William Schueller, Pierre-Yves Oudeyer
Catriona Silvey, Christos Christodoulopoulos
Katie Slocombe, Stuart Watson, Anne Schel, Claudia Wilke, Emma Wallace, Leveda Cheng, Victoria West, Simon Townsend
Ruth Sonnweber, Andrea Ravignani
Michelle Spierings, Carel ten Cate
Kevin Stadler, Elyse Jamieson, Kenny Smith, Simon Kirby
Monica Tamariz, Joleana Shurley
Monica Tamariz, Jon W. Carr
Bill Thompson, Heikki Rasilo
Oksana Tkachman, Carla L. Hudson Kam
Simon Townsend, Andrew Russell, Sabrina Engesser
Francesca Tria, Vittorio Loreto, Vito Servedio, S. Mufwene Salikoko
Anu Vastenius, Jordan Zlatev, Joost Van de Weijer
Tessa Verhoef, Carol Padden, Simon Kirby
Slawomir Wacewicz, Przemyslaw Zywiczynski, Arkadiusz Jasinski
Bodo Winter, David Ardell
Bodo Winter, Lynn Perry, Marcus Perlman, Gary Lupyan
Marieke Woensdregt, Kenny Smith, Chris Cummins, Simon Kirby
Eva Zehentner, Andreas Baumann, Nikolaus Ritt, Christina Prömer
Keywords: ontogeny, phylogeny, genes, development, system
Abstract:
Research in language evolution frequently turns to studies of language
development for generating hypotheses about possible evolutionary trajectory of
communicative development in humans. One of the problems faced by such
hypothetical models is the necessity to explain both universal aspects and
individual variation in language development, which is essential for determining
the core characteristics of language capacity shared by all humans and estimating
the time of their emergence in evolution.
The current submission introduces a potentially fruitful tool, the Theory of
Functional Systems (TFS). It was developed by P. Anokhin, and is supported by
existing research (e.g., Toomela, 2010; Sudakov, 1997). This theory can
contribute to our understanding of language development by examining variation
in human communicative and linguistic abilities and its relation to the evolution of
our species.
The TFS explains the development of complex behaviors both in evolution
and in individuals by treating them and their supporting cognitive substrates as
complex systems, and postulating three levels of systemogenesis. In primary
systemogenesis, core abilities forming the basis of behavior are created; in
accompanying secondary systemogenesis, these abilities are modified through the
individual’s interaction with its environment and preserved through brain
plasticity in ontogenesis. If the environment creates stable selective pressure,
certain behavioral systems formed during individual development may prove
advantageous, and their maturation in the next generation’s ontogenetic
development may take place earlier. This third process is referred to as
evolutionary systemogenesis.
Evolutionary systemogenesis relies, among other things, on specific
mechanisms of gene expression in the nervous system. Growing evidence
suggests that genes expressed in an individual’s brain at the time of early Central
Nervous Systems (CNS) development are often expressed again in the adult brain
during various learning experiences. Moreover, the same genes can be involved
in different aspects of behavioral development and learning (e.g. Tokarev et al.,
2011). TFS has a potential for explaining (i) such genetic - behavioral interconnection, (ii) the process of transition from individual adult learned behavior over multiple generations into pre-adult species-specific behavior, iii) the links between phylogeny and ontogeny at the behavioral level, as well as (iv) the time sequence of emergence of certain abilities during development.
Application of TFS to the problem of language evolution requires examining genes associated with language development. For example, research in rodents demonstrated that one of the most prominent language associated genes - FoxP2 - is apparently involved not only in vocal development, but in certain aspects of learning in adult brains (Enard et al., 2009).
In ontogenetic language development, the core systems which have experienced strong evolutionary pressure will mature earlier and build the foundation for the organism’s tuning to the specific environment through plasticity and learning, allowing further development of linguistic capacity. Thus, those aspects of language that develop early in ontogeny are most likely to have experienced strong selective pressure during evolution. Aspects of language development that are variable might help us identify specific environmental cues that are essential for an infant’s growing linguistic system in secondary systemogenesis, and their developmental timing may unravel the evolutionary history of language. A TFS-based model can explain why human infants are capable of acoustic differentiation of speech sounds well before reaching motor independency and learning other aspects of language. Candidate abilities for primary and secondary systemogenesis are sound discrimination, word-object recognition, gestural communication and language acquisition styles. The ontogeny and phylogeny of language development has been a struggle to elucidate; TFS may greatly advance our understanding of human linguistics.
Acknowledgements
The author is grateful for the continuing guidance of senior supervisor Timothy Racine; and for helpful feedback and unwavering support from colleagues in the Human Evolutionary Studies Program.
References
Enard, W. et al. (2009). A humanized version of Foxp2 affects cortico-basal ganglia circuits in mice. Cell, 137, 961.
Sudakov, K. V. (1997). The theory of functional systems: General postulates and principles of dynamic organization. Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science, 32(4), 392-414.
Tokarev, K., Tiunova, A., Scharff, C., Anokhin, K. (2011). Food for song:Expression of C-Fos and Zenk in the zebra finch song nuclei. PloS_One, 6:e21157.
Toomela, A. (2010). Biological roots of foresight and mental time travel. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 44(2), 97-125.
Citation:
Vasileva O. (2016). Language Evolution In Ontogeny And Phylogeny. In S.G. Roberts, C. Cuskley, L. McCrohon, L. Barceló-Coblijn, O. Fehér & T. Verhoef (eds.) The Evolution of Language: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference (EVOLANG11). Available online: http://evolang.org/neworleans/papers/69.html