Language Evolution, Symbolic Cognition, Language Acquisition, Brain Development, Origin of the Human Mind | Terrence Deacon | 20
Mind & Matter
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The Co-evolutionary Dance and the Symbolic Threshold in Primate Evolution
The co-evolutionary dance between language and the brain kicks off after crossing the symbolic threshold when the brain evolves the capability of using symbols. The speculation is on when during primate evolution this symbolic threshold was crossed, potentially going back to the common ancestor with chimpanzees, or shortly after that. Empirical evidence for this is challenging because languages and brains don't fossilize. However, around 2 million years ago, a transition in brain size compared to body size occurred, diverging from the common ancestors, suggesting the beginning of the expansion of brains.
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