The Michael Shermer Show Why Do Humans Speak?
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Sep 2, 2025 Madeleine Beekman, professor emerita of evolutionary biology at the University of Sydney and author of The Origin of Language, discusses the unexpected origins of human language. She argues that the need to care for highly dependent infants drove early humans to communicate more effectively. This necessity for cooperation led to the development of language, fundamentally changing society. Beekman also explores the evolutionary journey of language, contrasting it with animal communication and examining how our brain's complexity plays a crucial role in social interaction.
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Childcare Drove Language Evolution
- Human speech evolved primarily to coordinate extended childcare, not just hunting or tool use.
- Premature, costly human infants created selection for more precise communication.
No Single 'Language Gene'
- There is no single 'language gene' like FOXP2 that explains human syntax or language uniquely.
- FOXP2 affects vocalization broadly across vertebrates and isn't sufficient for human language acquisition.
Language's Symbolic, Generative Power
- Human language is uniquely symbolic and generative, allowing discussion of past, future, and fictional objects.
- Other species have symbolic signals but lack the infinite combinatorial syntax of human language.
