13.07.2023
Comparative phonetics: towards insights into the evolution of speech
Colloquium by Prof. Dr. Steven Moran and Axel Erkström
Time: Thursday, 13th July 2023 at 12pm (sharp)
Location: Rümelinstraße 23, Room 602 or via Zoom
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Steven Moran and Axel Erkström
Title: Comparative phonetics: towards insights into the evolution of speech
Abstract:
While great apes such as chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and orangutans (Pongo abelii) both produce vowel-like hoots, the acoustic and perceptual qualities of which overlap with human back vowels, reverse engineering efforts of species’ vocal tracts suggest such apparent continuity in sounds produced is likely result of acoustically fortuitous phenomena. Rather, continuity with human speech appears to be mainly in the domain of morphology, with apes possessing large fleshy, extendable lips, which are readily used in production of speech and speech-like sounds. Through analyses of novel learned vocalizations of chimpanzees in captivity, we demonstrate that both (1) the essential morphological underpinnings of human syllables and (2) the imitative abilities that underlie speech acquisition, were likely present at a much earlier stage of evolution than previously thought. Next, we review archaeological findings in search of a timeline during which features of the modern human articulatory morphology emerged. The incorporation of processed food in the Homo lineage likely facilitated the reduction of the jaw, oral cavity, teeth, and face. A mutation leading to inactivation of predominant myosin heavy chain expressed in masticatory muscles may have removed a constraint on brain expansion; and was possibly maintained in the lineage because food processing had already been outsourced to the hands and rudimentary stone tools during the Oldowan cultural niche (removing selection pressure for heavy jaws). The chain of events allows us to posit early Homo as a likely change-point in articulator evolution.
We welcome you all to join us in-person or via Zoom.
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