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Source characteristics and grammatical structures in Northern muriqui spontaneous vocalizations| old_uid | 14959 |
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| title | Source characteristics and grammatical structures in Northern muriqui spontaneous vocalizations |
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| start_date | 2015/01/21 |
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| schedule | 11h30-13h |
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| online | no |
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| details | Week's LANGUAGE Seminar |
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| summary | Is human language unique among primate systems of communication in exhibiting syntax and recursion? The recursive, hierarchical embedding of language units minimally requires a ‘context free grammar’. This is more complex than the finite state grammars thought to be sufficient to specify the structure of non-human communication signals. Animals seem unable of learning and discriminating strings of a context free grammar from those formed by simpler rules. Here we show that spontaneous combinatory calls of wild muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus), a New World monkey, exhibit a grammar which is not only context-free but also context-sensitive. Thus, the capacity produce recursive, self-embedded grammars is not uniquely human. This finding suggests that some essential mental processes that make human language are shared with humans’ non-speaking cousins. |
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| responsibles | Spector, Schlenker, Homer |
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