Emerging evidence in anthropology and linguistics suggests that the use and transmission of stone tool technology in early hominin life may have played a role in the evolution of language. At first sight, tool use may seem to have little to do with vocal language as most of us know it. However, if we turn our attention to the role of the hands – both in the creation and use of stone tools and in the use of linguistic gestures – the possibility of a link starts to become clearer. The aim of this symposium is to provide an interdisciplinary forum to shed light on the complex interplay of factors which shaped early hominin communication.
To this end, we have invited experts from diverse disciplines such as linguistics, primatology, paleoneurology, and cognitive science in order to synthesize recent evidence on the role of gestures, and the hands more broadly, in the evolution of hominin cognitive and linguistic capabilities.
New: Programme for next weeks symposium
People who are interested in following the talks via zoom, please send a mail until Tuesday 11th of October to monika.dollspam prevention@ifu.uni-tuebingen.de
