Comparative analyses of speech and language converge on birds

Gabriël J L Beckers; Robert C Berwick; Johan J Bolhuis

doi:10.1017/S0140525X13003956

Comparative analyses of speech and language converge on birds

Gabriël J L Beckers, Robert C Berwick, Johan J Bolhuis

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Unlike nonhuman primates, thousands of bird species have articulatory capabilities that equal or surpass those of humans, and they develop their vocalizations through vocal imitation in a way that is very similar to how human infants learn to speak. An understanding of how speech mechanisms have evolved is therefore unlikely to yield key insights into how the human brain is special.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	547-8; discussion 577-604
Journal	Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Volume	37
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X13003956
Publication status	Published - Dec 2014

Keywords

Animal Communication
Animals
Biological Evolution
Communication
Humans
Primates
Speech

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title = "Comparative analyses of speech and language converge on birds",

abstract = "Unlike nonhuman primates, thousands of bird species have articulatory capabilities that equal or surpass those of humans, and they develop their vocalizations through vocal imitation in a way that is very similar to how human infants learn to speak. An understanding of how speech mechanisms have evolved is therefore unlikely to yield key insights into how the human brain is special.",

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AU - Berwick, Robert C

AU - Bolhuis, Johan J

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AB - Unlike nonhuman primates, thousands of bird species have articulatory capabilities that equal or surpass those of humans, and they develop their vocalizations through vocal imitation in a way that is very similar to how human infants learn to speak. An understanding of how speech mechanisms have evolved is therefore unlikely to yield key insights into how the human brain is special.

KW - Animal Communication

KW - Animals

KW - Biological Evolution

KW - Communication

KW - Humans

KW - Primates

KW - Speech

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DO - 10.1017/S0140525X13003956

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SP - 547-8; discussion 577-604

JO - Behavioral and Brain Sciences

JF - Behavioral and Brain Sciences

IS - 6

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Comparative analyses of speech and language converge on birds

Abstract

Keywords

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