Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-03T18:21:56.019Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The role of vocalization, memory retrieval, and external symbols in cognitive evolution

Review products

Commentary onDonaldMerlin (1993) Précis of Origins of the modern mind: Three stages in the evolution of culture and cognition. BBS 16: 737–791

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2010

Merlin Donald
Merlin Donald
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, CanadaK7L 3N6. [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The human vocal apparatus is part of a vertically integrated system, and I agree with Licbennan that modern high-speed phonology co-evolved with our capacity for grammar. Olson and I agree that some distinctly human thought skills appear to be fairly recent cultural acquisitions related to the introduction of new symbolic technologies and external (that is, nonbiological) memory storage. Stenning's concern with my use of the term “episodic” can be resolved by distinguishing between episodic storage and retrieval. Baum's suggestions regarding courtship and cognitive evolution seem to apply better to mimetic expression than to language.

Type
Author's Response
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , March 1996 , pp. 159 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arensburg, B., Tiller, A. M.Vantlermeersch, B., Duday, H.Schepartz, L. A. & Rak, Y. (1989) A middle paleolithic human hyoid bone. Nature 338:758–60. [PL]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arensburg, B., Schepartz, L. A., Tiller, A. M., Vandermeersch, B., Duday, H. & Rak, Y. (1990) A reappraisal of the anatomical basis for speech in middle paleolithic hominids. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 83: 137–46. [PL]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barbujani, C. & Sokal, R. R. (1991) Genetic population structure of Italy. II. Physical and cultural barriers to gene flow. American Journal of Human Genetics 48:398–411. [PL]Google ScholarPubMed
Bickerton, D. (1993) Putting cognitive carts before linguistic horses. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 16:749–50. [DRO]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bosnia, J. F. (1975) Anatomic and physiologic development of the speech apparatus. In: Human communication and its disorders, ed Towers, D. B.. Raven. [PL]Google Scholar
Brace, C. L. (1993) “Pop science” versus understanding the emergence of the modern mind. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 16:750–51. [rMD, PL]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruner, J. (1986) Actual minds, possible worlds. Harvard.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clutton-Brock, T. H. & Harvey, B. H. (1980) Primates, brains, and ecology. Journal of Zoology 190:309–32. [EBB]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Darwin, C. (1859) On the origins of species: facsimile edition 1964. Harvard. [PL]Google Scholar
Darwin, C. (1874) The descent of man, second edition. John Murray. [EBB]Google Scholar
Dawkins, R. (1986) The blind watchmaker. Longman. [EBB]Google Scholar
Dennett, D. (1992) The role of language in intelligence. “Darwin Lecture,” Cambridge University, 03 6 1992. Publication CCS-92–3, Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts University. [rMD]Google Scholar
Donald, M. (1991) Origins of the modern mind. Harvard. [rMD, DRO, EBB]Google Scholar
Donald, M. (1993a) Human cognitive evolution: What we were, what we are becoming. Social Research 60:143–70. [rMD]Google Scholar
Donald, M. (1993b) Préis of Origins of the modern mind. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 16:737:91. [rMD, PL, DRO, KS]Google Scholar
Donald, M. (1994) Representation: Ontogenesis and phylogenesis. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 17:714–15. [rMD]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunbar, R. I. (1988) Primate social systems. Croon Helm. [EBB]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunbar, R. I. (1990) Ecological modeling in an evolutionary context. Folia Primatologica 53:235–46. [EBB]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falk, D. (1975) Comparative anatomy of the larynx in man and the chimpanzee: Implications for language in Neanderthal. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 43:123–32. [PL]CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fisher, R. A. (1983) The genetical theory of natural selection. Clarendon [EBB]Google Scholar
Fodor, J. (1983) Modularity of mind.. MIT Press. [rMD]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
George, S. L. (1978) A longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis of the growth of the postnatal cranial base angle. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 49:171–78. [PL]CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodall, J. (1986) The chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of behavior. Harvard. [EBB]Google Scholar
Grosmangin, C. (1979) Base du crane et pharynx dans leur rapports avec l'appareil de langagé articulé. Mémoires du Laboratoire d”Anatomie de la Faculté de Médedne de Paris, no. 40–1979. [rMD]Google Scholar
Halverson, J. (1993) Mythos and logos. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 16:762. [DRO]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harpending, H., Sherry, T., Rogers, A. R. & Stoneking, M. (1992) The genetic structure of ancient human populations. Current Anthropology 34:483–96. [EBB]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hedges, S. B., Sherry, S. T., Rodgers, A. R., & Stoneking, M. (1992) Human origins and analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Science 255:737–39. [EBB]CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Houghton, P. (1993) Neanderthal supralaryngeal vocal tract. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 90:139–46. [PL]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karmiloff-Smith, A. (1992) Beyond Modularity. MIT Press. [rMD]Google Scholar
Laitman, J. T. & Crelin, E. S. (1976) Postnatal development of the basicranium and vocal tract region in man. In: Symposium on development of the basicranium, ed. Bosnia, J.. U.S. Government Printing Office. [PL]Google Scholar
Laitman, J. T., Reidenberg, J. S., Gannon, P. J., Johansson, B., Landahl, K. & Lieberman, P. (1990) The Kebara hyoid: What can it tell us about the evolution of the hominid vocal tract? American Journal of Physical Anthropology 81:254. [PL]Google Scholar
Lande, R. (1980) Sexual dimorphism, sexual selection, and adaptation in polygenic characters. Evolution 34:292–305. [EBB]CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lande, R. (1981) Models of speciation by sexual selection of polygenic traits. PNAS 78:3721–5. DNA sequences. [EBB]CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lieberman, P. (1975) On the origins of language: An introduction to the evolution of speech. Macmillan. [PL]Google Scholar
Lieberman, P. (1982) Can chimpanzees swallow or talk? A reply to Falk. American Anthropologist 84:148–52. [PL]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lieberman, P. (1984) The biology and evolution of language. Harvard. [PL]Google Scholar
Lieberman, P. (1989) The origins of some aspects of human language and cognition. In: The human revolution: Behavioural and biological perspectives in the origins of modern humans, ed. Melars, P. & Stringer, C. B.. Edinburg University Press. [PL]Google Scholar
Lieberman, P. (1991) Uniquely human: The evolution of speech, thought, and selfless behavior. Harvard. [PL]Google Scholar
Lieberman, P. (1992) On Neanderthal speech and Neanderthal extinction. Current Anthropology 33:409–10. [PL]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lieberman, P. (1993) The Kebara KMH-2 hyoid and Neanderthal speech. Current Anthropology 34:172–75. [PL]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lieberman, P. (1994) Hyoid bone position and speech: Reply to Arensburg et al. (1990). American Journal of Physical Anthropology 94:215–78. [PL]CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lieberman, P. & Crelin, E. S. (1971) On the speech of Neanderthal man. Linguistic Inquiry 2:203–22. [rMD, PL]Google Scholar
Lieberman, P., Crelin, E. S. & Klatt, D. H. (1972) Phonetic ability and related anatomy of the newborn, adult human, Neanderthal man, and the chimpanzee. American Anthropologist 74:287–07. [PL]Google Scholar
Milton, K. (1988) Foraging behavior and the evolution of primate intelligence. In: Machiavellian intelligence, Byrne, R. & Whiten, A., eds. Plenum [EBB]Google Scholar
Nelson, K. (1995) Language in cognitive development: The emergence of the mediated mind. Cambridge. [rMD]Google Scholar
Olson, D. R. (1993) How writing represents speech. Language and Communication 13:1–17. [DRO]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olson, D. R. (1994) The world on paper: The conceptual and cognitive implications of writing and reading. Cambridge. [DRO]Google Scholar
Olton, D. (1984) Comparative analysis of episodic memory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 7:250–51. [rMD]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pepperberg, I. M. (1994) Numerical competence in an African gray parrot. Journal of Comparative Psychology 108:36–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ridley, M. (1993) The Red Queen: Sex and the evolution of human nature. Viking. [EBB]Google Scholar
Schepartz, L. A. (1993) Language and modern human origins. Yearbook of Physical Anthropology 36:91–126. [PL]Google Scholar
Senecail, B. (1979) L'Os hyoide: Introduction anatomique a l'etude de certains mechanismes de la phonation. M&moire du Laboratoire d”Anatomie de la Faculté de Médecine de Paris, no. 36–1979. [PL]Google Scholar
Sherry, D. & Schachter, D. (1987) The evolution of multiple memory systems. Psychological Review 94:439–54. [rMD, KS]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Small, J. P. (1993) Memory, text, and the Greek revolution. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 16:769–70. [DRO]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Templeton, A. (1992) Human origins and analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Science: 255:737. [EBB]CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Truby, H. L., Bosma, J. F. & Lind, J. (1965) Newborn infant cry. Almquist and Wiksell. [PL]Google Scholar
Tulving, E. (1983) Elements of episodic memory. Oxford. [rMD]Google Scholar
Tulving, E. (1984) Précis of Elements of Episodic Memory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 7:223–68. [rMD]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, P. L. & Warwick, R. (1988) Gray's anatomy, 6th edition. W. B. Saunders. [PL]Google Scholar
Wind, J. W. (1970) On the phytogeny and ontogeny of the human larynx. Volters-Noordhoff. [PL]Google Scholar