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From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: Orphaned Response
Message-ID: <468@psivax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-May-85 15:56:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: psivax.468
Posted: Fri May 24 15:56:39 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 27-May-85 06:49:18 EDT
References: <-41400@psivax.UUCP> <14600014@hpfcrs.UUCP>
Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley friesen)
Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA
Lines: 39

In article <14600014@hpfcrs.UUCP> lief@hpfcrs.UUCP (lief) writes:
>>	You are confusing *capacity* and ability. Humans have a
>>natural *capacity* to *learn* language, something which no other
>>animal has ever been demonstrated to have. Humans only actual learn
>>to speak if they have the motivation, that is other humans to which
>>to speak must be present. The *real* test of the inborn nature of
>>language would be to raise a group of children *together* from
>>infancy, but without *any* contact with adults, and then see if they
>>invent a language for use among themselves.
>>-- 
>>
>>				Sarima (Stanley Friesen)
>>
>>/* ---------- */
>
>Any idea what mutation or natural selection mechanism caused mammals which
>have no *capacity* for learning languages to somehow gain that ability?
>
	In a general sort of way, yes. The capacity for language is
of course a complex "trait" resulting from the interactions of many
different physiological and neuroanatomical traits, thus there is no
simple "mutation" involved. The selective pressures involved can be
summed up in the concepts of socialization and cooperative hunting.
That is, improved communication within a band if early "ape-men"
would lead to increased efficiency in hunting and reduced social
friction between troup members. Social structures could be formed
and maintained with less of the potentially damaging fighting typical
of other primates, resulting in a generally stronger band. These
factors would lead to a greater succes for the band and other bands
like it, which is, essentially by definition, a selective advantage
for improved communication. Over time these improvements would easily
accumulate until the complete adaptive suite we see in modern humans
was attained, giving full language competancy.
-- 

				Sarima (Stanley Friesen)

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