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Primate roots of language and linguistic evolution| title | Primate roots of language and linguistic evolution |
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| start_date | 2026/07/08 |
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| schedule | 17h-18h |
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| online | yes |
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| visio | https://sites.google.com/site/philippeschlenkerteaching/linguae-al-animal-linguistics-seminar#h.gi3n1t5izghw |
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| location_info | Online |
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| summary | In this presentation I will argue that nonhuman primates share core properties of syntax and event representation with humans. In the first part of my talk, I will present our recent findings in support of these claims. Specifically, we found that some primate call systems include hierarchical, in some cases even supraregular syntax, similar to language. We furthermore found that event representation shows strikingly similar structures as language. Given these similarities, why do only humans have language? In the second part of my talk I will propose as an answer that the key distinction of Homo sapiens is linguistic evolution. Linguistic evolution is an ergodic, and therefore stationary process of relentless change. The process was enabled by increased learning abilities, and it was selected by increasingly complex social needs and demographic structures. However, the resulting dynamics is constrained in nontrivial ways, above and beyond general principles of efficiency during communication or sampling during transmission. We recently discovered that in some cases, notably in the expression of hierarchy in syntax, these constraints keep language closer to animal call systems than one might expect. In summary, while language clearly goes far beyond the communication systems of other primates, it continues to show its primate roots. |
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| responsibles | Chemla, Ravaux, Schlenker |
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Workflow history| from state (3) | to state | comment | date |
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| submitted | published | | 2026/07/03 06:32 UTC |
| published | submitted | | 2026/07/02 09:46 UTC |
| submitted | published | | 2026/07/02 08:28 UTC |
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