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To every man his own language: Are we all Darwin’s children?

Shantanu Ghosh¹

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1. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

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Document Type:

Manuscript

Date:

Received 30 November 2007 14:18 UTC; Posted 30 November 2007

Subjects:

Evolution and Ecology, Genetics, Neuroscience

Tags:

• language evolution
• functional brain connectivity
• recursion in memory processing
• cognition

Abstract:

Although current theories of language evolution have examined both molecular evolution as well as functional connectivity of the cortex in humans as well as other primates, a description of language as pre-adaptation open to natural selection has eluded us so far. Here I review the evidence in favor of natural selection that trigger growth and plasticity of the prefrontal cortex in humans and its links to the mirror neuron system. Evolvability of recursive mechanisms as the hallmark of evolution of symbolic communication in humans is also investigated. The polymorphism of genes like ASPM, Microcephalin and FOXP2 in the evolution of language as an emergent property has also been examined.

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Jaspal Patil on 09 February 2008 07:58 UTC

Thanks, this is very important review and I hope this work will lead to much growth in the field of mirror neuron system.

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This document is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

How to cite this document:

Ghosh, Shantanu. To every man his own language: Are we all Darwin’s children?. Available from Nature Precedings <http://hdl.handle.net/10101/npre.2007.1375.1> (2007)

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