Right-handed chimpanzees provide clues to the origin of human language
November 16, 2009Most of the linguistic functions in humans are controlled by the left cerebral hemisphere. A study of captive chimpanzees at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center (Atlanta, Georgia), reported in the January 2010 issue of Elsevier's Cortex, suggests that this "hemispheric lateralization" for language may have its evolutionary roots in the gestural communication of our common ancestors. A large majority of the chimpanzees in the study showed a significant bias towards right-handed gestures when communicating, which may reflect a similar dominance of the left hemisphere for communication in chimpanzees as that seen for language functions in humans.
A team of researchers, supervised by Prof. William D. Hopkins of Agnes Scott College (Decatur, Georgia), studied hand-use in 70 captive chimpanzees over a period of 10 months, recording a variety of communicative gestures specific to chimpanzees. These included 'arm threat', 'extend arm' or 'hand-slap' gestures produced in different social contexts, such as attention-getting interactions, shared excitation, threat, aggression, greeting, reconciliation or invitations for grooming or for play.
The gestures were directed at the human observers, as well as toward other chimpanzees.
"The degree of predominance of the right hand for gestures is one of the most pronounced we have ever found in chimpanzees in comparison to other non-communicative manual actions. We already found such manual biases in this species for pointing gestures exclusively directed to humans. These additional data clearly showed that right-handedness for gestures is not specifically associated to interactions with humans, but generalizes to intraspecific communication", notes Prof. Hopkins.
The French co-authors, Dr. Adrien Meguerditchian and Prof. Jacques Vauclair, from the Aix-Marseille University (Aix-en-Provence, France), also point out that "this finding provides additional support to the idea that speech evolved initially from a gestural communicative system in our ancestors. Moreover, gestural communication in apes shares some key features with human language, such as intentionality, referential properties and flexibility of learning and use".
More information: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/cortex
Source: Elsevier
Apr 30, 2007 |
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Menawhile, the master-switch Foxp2 gene is uniquely human (i.e. not carried in the chimp) that aids in our speech. See Callaway's article in the Nov. 09 issue of New Scientist. Human speech has always been human speech and didn't *evolve* from grunts of a chimp.
Any chance of you actually discussing this?
Ethelred
*Long observation of chimps have made it clear that they communicate via gestures as well as through sound* you say. So? How does that make them supposedly related to us?
Humans speech has always been h.s. & Ethyl Red says, *What evidence do you have to support that claim?* Are you serious? Show me all the chimps that are close to speaking any language. I then went on to show 1 of the indications that h.s. is unique is found in protein products of the Foxp2 gene, whereupon Ethyl Red does ad hominem attack.
Chimps gesturing with their right hand doesn't come close to providing evidence that we are supposedly related. Furthermore, on the genetic level the Foxp2 gene indicates the unique nature of human speech, making altered proteins that are not carried by chimps.
The genetic evidence is clear. Because the genetic evidence is so clear chimps makes a good model for humans. Which is what I said in the first place.Of course. What evidence? I know that you think the Bible qualifies but I don't agree on that.The ones that were taught sign language.Which in no way shows the chimps are incapable of communication via gesture.Try quoting the alleged attack. Pointing out soft thinking is not ad homonym.
Continued
Ethelred
So you used the book to create another straw man argument. Did you think I wouldn't notice?
Ethelred
http://notachimp.blogspot.com/
Recent posts by Jeremy
Right-Handed Chimps Provide Clues To The Origin Of Human Language
Fair Play In Humans, Monkeys And Apes
Do Chimps Understand Beliefs?
Oh yes and this one.
FOXP2 Gene And Ramifying Roots Of Language
And you made it up when you claimed the gene is unique to humans. Chimps have the same gene. It has EVOLVED through mutations and natural selection but is clear that the chimp and human gene have a common ancestral gene.
He seems to agree with me that we are in fact related to chimps. That studying them makes sense. So I don't see how quoting him out of context will make the world young or make evolution go away.
Are you ever going to answer this question?
Are you a Young Earth Creationist?
Ethelred