1. The Biology and Origins of Language

2. Body Size, Brains and Stuff
Smaller Body Size
Short lifespan
R selected
Brain functions integrated
Reliance on instinct
Stimulus bound learning
Rigid response to environment
Less adaptable to change
Short neurons lead to short reaction time
Larger Body Size
Long lifespan (for learning)
K selected
Brain functions specialized
Reliance on learning
Transferable learning
Flexible response to environment
More adaptable to change
Long neurons lead to delayed reaction time

3. r and K selection “K” - Chimps care for offspring for 5-7 years
“r” - Turtles lay & abandon many eggs

4. Animal vs. Human Brains
Animals have much less cortex (gray matter) and much shorter nerve fibers than humans.
The Cortex is where higher brain functions like thinking take place.
The non-cortical brain is involved in reflexes and emotional reactions.

5. Brain to Body Ratio

6. Brain Specialization
Of all animals, only humans and apes have been found to have lateralized brains

7. Language Parts of the Brain
Wernicke’s Area
Receives speech from primary auditory area and decodes speech
Broca’s Area
develops speech and sends it to the motor cortex
Geschwind’s Territory
at the junction of the auditory, visual, and somatosensory cortexes
neurons in this lobule can process different kinds of stimuli (auditory, visual, sensorimotor, etc.) simultaneously.
doesn’t fully develop until about five years of age
classifying, labeling, thinking abstractly, forming concepts.
Arcuate fasiculus
Bundle of neurological connections between three areas

8. Left Cortex Language Areas

9. Inferior parietal lobule AKA Geschwind’s Territory

11. Aphasia
Two forms of Aphasia:
GRAMMAR PROBLEMS
Damage to Broca’s Area results in the inability to complete grammatically complete sentences.
PROBLEMS IN MEANING
Damage to Wernieke’s Area results in speech that has a natural-sounding rhythm and normal grammatical patterns but is meaningless.
DEFINITION
is a loss of the ability to produce and/or comprehend language

12. How do we know what parts of the Human Brain Control Language?
Videos on Damage to Human Brains
Physical Injury
Stroke Patients

13. Language Activity Brain Scans

14. Genes and Language Two links between specific genes and language:
1. The FoxP2 Gene
2. ASPM and Microcephalin Genes

15. FoxP2
Discovered through one family(the “KE” family), half of whom had a defect in that gene and could not speak
The KE family was of Pakistani origin living in Britain
In 37 members in 4 generations, 15 suffered specific language impairment

16. FoxP2
Patterns of inheritance indicated standard dominant/recessive inheritance, not sex chromosome inheritance.
Fox P2n is Located on a short segment of chromosome 7
each of us inherits two copies of the FOXP2 gene: one from our mother, and one from our father
both copies must be intact for our language functions to be normal.

17. FoxP2
responsible for producing a protein called a transcription factor.
transcription factors bind to DNA molecules to turn other genes off and on.
Broca’s area and the caudate nuclei (regulates motor control) are smaller than in normal people
trouble in identifying some elementary sounds of language,
trouble in understanding sentences and using grammar

18. ASPM and Microcephalin
These genes are associated with increased brain size
Mutations at these sites cause primary microcephaly, a developmental defect with severe reduction in the cerebral cortex—(planning, abstract reasoning and other higher brain functions).
Microcephalin was more involved in evolution of primate brain size (prosimians to monkeys)
ASPM more involved in late evolutionary step leading to humans.

19. ASPM and Microcephalin
Both genes are thought to affect brain development.
Older versions of these genes are found in tonal language populations. (Half of the world’s language are tonal including many in Asia, Southeast Asia and Sub Saharan Africa).
New versions of these genes are found in non-tonal language populations.

20. Tonal Language Example
Mandarin Tone Use
Word Intonation Meaning
ba [/] to uproot
ba [--] eight
ba [\/] to hold
ba [\] a harrow

21. Genes and Language
The newer version of ASPM is traced back to 5800 years ago.
The newer version of Microcephalin is traced back to 37,000 years ago.
(Dan Dediu and Robert Ladd of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, May 2007)

22. When did language first appear in humans?
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23. Fossil Evidence for Language 1
Indicator
Endocasts
Fossil
Australopithecus africanus/Taung Baby
Age
3 MYA
Feature
(language present)
Lunate sulcus farther back than in apes as in modern human brains
Proponent
Ralph Hollowell
Oponent
Dean Faulk

24. Australopithicines
Australopithecines lived between 5 and 2 million years ago.
(Artists rendition based on skeletal and muscular reconstruction.)

25. Location of the Lunate Sulcus
Back of the brain
Front of
the brain

26. Fossil Evidence for Language 2
Indicator
Endocasts
Fossil
Homo habilis/ER 1470
Age
2 MYA
Feature
(language present)
Broca's Area sulci may be present
Proponents
Hollowell and Faulk

27. Fossil Evidence for Language 3
Indicator
Total brain size
Fossil
Homo habilis cranial capacity jumps from 400cc in Australopithecines to 600cc
Age
2 MYA
Feature
(language present)
Large increase in neurological connections
Proponents
Deacon says jump in cranial capacity shows language
Opponents
Say specialized language organs more important than total size

28. Australopithecus vs. Homo habilis
Homo habilis 600 cc
Australopithecus cc

29. Fossil Evidence for Language 4
Indicator
Thoracic vertebral canal
Fossil
Homo sapiens
(H. erectus/WT does not have enlargement)
Age
100,000 years ago
Feature
(language present)
Enlarged for increased nerve bundles to control breathing adapted to speech
Proponents
Ann McLarnon
Opponents

30. Homo erectus
Homo erectus lived between 1.5 and .5 million years ago. They hunted large game and gathered plant foods.
(Artists rendition based on skeletal and muscular reconstruction.)

31. Fossil Evidence for Language 5
Indicator
Reconstructed vocal tracts including tongues
Fossil
Homo neanderthalensis
Age
100,000 years ago
Feature
(no language)
Reconstruction of modern tongue size scaled to fit Neanderthal throat reaches down into the chest cavity
Proponents
Philip Lieberman
Opponents

32. Homo neanderthalensis
Neanderthals lived between 200,000 and 28,000 years ago in what is now Europe and the Middle East. There is evidence that they may have buried their dead, and that they may have had other religious rituals.
(Artists rendition based on skeletal and muscular reconstruction.)

33. Neanderthal Throat/Tongue Ratios

34. Fossil Evidence for Language 6
Indicator
Basicranium shape
Fossil
Homo sapiens sapiens
Age
100,000 years ago
Feature
(language present)
Basicranial angle more pronounced in H. sapiens than other hominids indicating language
Proponents
Jeffrey Laitman
Opponents

35. Basocranial Shape in Chimps and Hominids

36. Why Language?

37. Why Language?

38. Why Language?

39. Powerpoint Study Guide
Endocast
Lunate sulcus
Basocranial shape
Australopithecus
Homo habilis
Homo erectus
Neandertal
Homo sapiens
Social bonding
Grooming
Vocal grooming
Body Size
r Selection
K selection
Brain to Body Ratio
Cortical Brain
Non-Cortical Brain
Brain Lateralization
Broca’s Area
Wernicke’s Area
Geschwind’s Territory
Arcuate Fasiculus
Aphasia
FOXP2 Gene
ASPM Gene
Microcephalin Gene
Tonal Languages