słonie: Origin of language

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

The origin of language, its relationship with human evolution, and its consequences have been subjects of study for centuries. Scholars wishing to study the origins of language draw inferences from evidence such as the fossil record, archaeological evidence, and contemporary language diversity. They may also study language acquisition as well as comparisons between human language and systems of animal communication (particularly those of other primates). Many argue for the close relation between the origins of language and the origins of modern human behavior, but there is little agreement about the facts and implications of this connection. The shortage of direct, empirical evidence has ca…

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The Archaeological Evidence of Language Origins: States of Art

Evidence: 47 • authority: 90

Evidence: 47 • authority: 90

Evidence: 45 • authority: 88

Phylogenetic analyses and the fossil record: Tests and inferences, hypotheses and models. Tree-based paleobiological studies use inferred phylogenies as models to test hypotheses about macroevolution and the quality of the fossil record. Such studies raise two concerns. The first is how model trees might bias results. The second is testing hypotheses about parameters that affect tree inference. Bias introduced by model trees is explored for tree-based assessments of the quality of the fossil record. Several nuisance parameters affect tree-based metrics, including consistency of sampling probability, rates of speciation / extinction, patterns of speciation, applied taxonomic philosophy, and…