Mariah Karris Professor Latham Evolution of Language 3 December 2011 Evolution of Language Circa some six to seven million

years ago there was a split between the hominids and the chimpanzees, (Corballis 183). This event is important because it would be used for explaining the foundation of development for the early civilizations. Reason being was that it gave proof to many theories created over time for where human beings came from. Two main scientists of that time with opposing viewpoints which supported both ends of the spectrum for human origin were Charles Darwin for his theory of evolution and Clive Wynn for his theory as well. Overall there can only be one explanation for these that challenged these viewpoints; language. The evolution of man is characterized by language; which is rooted back to thought and the mind. The environmental factors of the Pleistocene era help explain how Homo sapiens arose. The uses of ones hands help explain how humans evolved over time. The development of the brains capacity to store knowledge links all these together to explain how language came about. Darwin and Clive both offer interesting insight into whether or not Homo sapiens truly learn language in the same way as animals do. The Pleistocene Era mentioned earlier must have developed from some specific event in history. The most significant historical event that occurred can only be revealed by the environmental conditions of this period. According to The Reclusive Mind The Pleistocene also marks a shift from a largely wooded environment to more open savanna, (Corballis 191). This

supposed shift from the woodlands to grasslands had to have some catastrophic effect on the animals in this area. It has also been proven that predators such as 12 species of saber tooth and nine species of hyena, (Corballis 192), inhabited the lands and endangered the said animals of the woodlands area. The chimpanzees are an example of this said animal, which had become used to the woodland environment, were now faced with the challenges of surviving in the open savanna. The reason for this split so long ago perhaps could have come from this new atmosphere. Chimpanzees had a hard time settling in the savanna because of its openness for attacks from these predators without the woodlands as camouflage (Corballis 193). This event resulted in species commonly known as homo rudolfensis and Homo habilis, which would eventually lead to the evolution of man, (Corballis 190). Obviously man has come a long way from these early hominids and there must have been a reason he could come so far. The use of facultative bipedalism came about at this time; meaning that the species could use their hands and feet as a way of moving around in their new environment, (Corballis 185). This was one of the adaptations that hominids needed in order to survive in the open savanna. Although they were no match for the saber tooth or the hyenas the homo species had hands to use for protection. A hand is a gift that was given to mankind, leading to the long opposable thumb, and the large area of the cortex involved in control of the hand, (Corballis 188). The long opposable thumb of the Homo gave them the ability to throw accurately and with great speed (Corballis 187). At the same time the opposable thumb gave way to the ability to cook food (Corballis 195). In this period one can see the wide range changes from the earliest of the chimpanzees to the present Homo sapiens. The evidence is compelling as to whose better made for survival; Homo sapiens. Also, these two specified examples imply that the

development of thinking must have developed in this time (Corballis 191). The hand is ultimately controlled by the mind; where the mind chooses to go, the hand must oblige to move in that specific direction. The environmental changes of The Pleistocene era gave rise to other amazing achievements in later years. One might be wondering how language has to do with the environment or the hand being an explanation for the survival of Homo sapiens. In this joined society many social interactions occurred between both men and men. The men were commonly hunter gatherers and the women would take care of the community and their children (Corballis 193-194). The young children were always apart of community life and brought species together. This was not available to the chimpanzees that did not have the ability to develop skills such as trust and sharing (Corballis 194). A mothers role in the earlier time period may help understand the role that all mothers have played throughout history. At some point the predators were no longer just animals but other groups of Homo fighting for their place in the food pyramid (Corballis 194). There was the idea of survival of the fittest meaning those with the most intelligence, strength and chemical makeup would survive (Corballis 175). There would only be one who came out at the top of all species and these were Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens did not come about until the Middle Stone Age which began 300,000 years ago and ended 50,000 years ago (Corballis 208). During this time technological advancements were developed as a means of hunting including stone tools (Corballis 210). This technological advancement involves the development of thought processes such as the ones mentioned earlier. These communities worked together to hunt for food and protect their own. This basic primitive way of the survival kept Homo sapiens around until today. Homo sapiens made use of their surroundings the tools

eventually grew so advanced; the only proof for this would be the modernization of human beings. Was it Charles Darwins Theory of Natural Selection or was it Wynns Theory that properly explained if animals or humans are connected by language or not. Darwin of course was confident in his theory that humans are connected to animals; in fact humans are descendants of chimpanzees (Corballis 173). There is evidence that points to the connection between both species. Sign language is a form of communication which chimpanzees use; the grunting noises one hears coming from the chimp, or the thumping of the chimps fists against his chest (Corballis 58). These all bear some significant meaning; that chimpanzees know how to exchange ideas with one another. Kanzi the chimpanzee has made great strides to prove this connection between these two species. Certain tests are run on Kanzi to see if this chimp can understand; he uses keys on a keyboard and has supplemented these with manual gestures of his own devising, (Corballis 47). This goes to show that chimps and apes are capable of association, understanding and interpreting the actions of others. The use of hand gestures were the primary element to which language was formed (Corballis 57). It directly brought out this sense of community interaction. This is a long way from the idea of animals actually communicating through means of speech. Wynn offered the contrasting opinion that the connection between language and thought implies that nonhuman animals are incapable of thinking as we humans do it helps justify our appalling treatment of our fellow creatures, (Corballis 152). The problem is finding a reason that can properly explain can be taken from the same experiment. Kanzi is incapable of forming words; although he can identify certain objects he cannot speak (Corballis 48). Language is what separates human beings form any other

organism, not just Homo sapiens ability to understand and communicate. This is all the proof needed to put doubt into the idea that chimpanzees are directly related to Homo sapiens. Also he proves that even if there is the possibility to Darwin has more support than the simple argument that language must be spoken in order to have direct meaning (Corballis 154). Animals however do not directly relate, although they can try, that are at their best only animals and are not domesticated. Both Clive Wynn and Charles Darwin were right in their research that humans and animals may or may not be connected. If this connection is real as Darwin states how is it that humans spoke while chimpanzees did not. All of it lies within the brain size of Homo sapiens versus the brain size of chimpanzees. Chimpanzees have a relatively small brain size in comparison to the human beings (Corballis 198). The brain size and the capacity to think are closely linked by taking the size of the neocortex, and not the brain as a whole, (Corballis 196). The neocortex is where most of the information developed comes from and proves to support that Homo sapiens have the ability to develop language, (Corballis 197). This measuring system puts Homo sapiens at relatively the highest place. The largest brain comes from the Neanderthals; the loss of two parts of the brain created the function for language to develop in Homo sapiens, regardless of the size (Corballis 198-199). These two parts include the shrinking of the jaw and the loss of an acid created in the Neanderthals brain, but not in Homo sapiens (Corballis 199). This acid comes from the enzymes of this specific gene; perhaps with lack of this enzyme made language impossible to develop in Neanderthals (Corballis 199). These specific genes being lost in time and brain size may explain the ability of only Homo sapiens to formulate language while other species and subspecies cannot. However only examining the brain as an entity makes it

hard to imply that the brain is the only difference between humans and chimpanzees. Perhaps it is not just the brain size or the ability to think that truly matters in terms of language. As seen in the chimpanzee Kanzi, he could not speak, but this does not mean he could not think. Language has been proven to be in the form of sign language, not necessarily words themselves. Although the brain is the main reason for thought and the ability to speak it was Homo sapiens who coexisted, learned and honed in these abilities. One might be wondering still how these examples connect with the formation of language. Language is a compilation of all these events that have occurred throughout time. It was necessary that Homo must go through all these phases in order to reach the height of complete fulfillment; becoming human. The factors giving rise to the development of language were the environmental features of the Pleistocene, the use of ones hands and the capacity of the brain. Homo sapiens did not learn how to speak overnight; it took large scale developments of the mind and the body to mark what separates Homo sapiens from chimpanzees. One can make assumptions of language for so long before they lose sight of biological advancements that took place in the very beginning of time.

Works Cited 1. Anshen, Ruth Nanda. Language: an Enquiry into its Meaning and Function. Print. Port Washington, N.Y., Kennikat Press [1971, c1957]. 2. Corballis, Michael C. The Recursive Mind: The Origins of Human Language, Thought, and Civilization / Michael C. Corballis. Print. Princeton : Princeton University Press 3. Eco, Umberto. Ricerca della Lingua Perfetta nella Cultura Europea. Print. English the search for the perfect language/ Umberto Eco; translated by James Fentress. Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Mass., USA; Blackwell. 4. Gardenfors, Peter. How Homo Became Sapiens; On The Evolution of Thinking. Print. 1st paperback edition. Oxford; New York; Oxford University Press, 2003. 5. Harrison, K. David. When Languages Die: The Extinction of The Worlds Language and The Erosion of Human Knowledge. Print. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. 6. Klein, Ernest, 1899-1893. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Dealing with the origin of words and their sense development thus illustrating the history of civilization and culture. Amsterdam, New York [etc] Elsevier, 1966. Print. 7. Lemm, Vanessa. Nietzsches Animal Philosophy: Culture, Politics and the Animality of The Human Being/ Vanessa Lemm. Print. 1st edition, New York: Fordham University Press, 2009. 8. Palmer, Douglas. Origins: Human Evolution Revealed / Douglas Palmer. Print. London: Mitchell Beazley; New York, NY: Distributed in the USA and Canada by Octopus Books, 2010. 9. Sociocultural Dimensions of Language Change/ edited by Ben G. Blount, Mary Sanches; with an itrod. By John J. Gumperz. Print. New York; Academic Press, 1977.