Primate communication and human language : vocalisation, gestures, imitation and deixis in humans and non-humans / edited by Anne Vilain, Jean-Luc Schwartz, Christian Abry, Jacques Vauclair.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Vilain, Anne.

Schwartz, Jean-Luc.

Abry, Christian.

Vauclair, Jacques.

Series:

Advances in interaction studies ; v. 1.

Advances in interaction studies (AIS) ; v. 1

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Oral communication.

Visual communication.

Physical Description:

239 p. : ill. (some col.).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : John Benjamins Pub. Co., 2011.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

It has been argued that only humans have volitional control of their vocalizations and that this ability allowed for the evolution of speech. Here we argue that recent studies in chimpanzees suggest that they do, in fact have some degree of voluntary control of both their vocalizations as well as their facial expressions. We further argue, based on recent studies, that chimpanzees understand the functional significance of using vocalizations or sounds in communicative and social contexts, specifically as a means of obtaining the attention of an otherwise inattentive human. The ability of chimpanzees to voluntarily produce vocal signals and functionally manipulate social agents with them may be an important precursor in the evolution of human spoken language.

Contents:

pt. 1. Primate vocal communication : new findings about its complexity, adaptability and control

pt. 2. Neurophysiological, behavioural and ontogenetic data on the evolution of communicative orofacial and manual gestures

pt. 3. Emergence and development of speech, gestures and language.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613051493

9781283051491

1283051494

9789027287311

9027287317

OCLC:

712015645