Language Evolution, Symbolic Cognition, Language Acquisition, Brain Development, Origin of the Human Mind | Terrence Deacon | 20
Mind & Matter
00:00
Evolutionary adaptation and the lazy gene hypothesis
Organisms tend to lose the ability to perform functions if they can be acquired from outside sources with less effort, known as the lazy gene hypothesis. This is illustrated by the loss of the ability to produce vitamin C in humans due to the abundance of this vitamin in fruits. The Darwinian story suggests that abilities are lost if not used, contradicting the Baldwin story, which implies that learning language might result from loss of function. This is supported by a bird example showing improved singing ability due to domestication.
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