Can climate instability explain human speciation and language evolution?
Svetlana T.davidova
January 2022
 

Adaptation to the current environment is the fundamental principle of evolution and climate is the cornerstone in the formation of this environment. In the last 2 million years (my) the earth has experienced radical fluctuations of climatic patterns which triggered radical changes in ecology. Many species have adapted to these extreme conditions by evolving higher intelligence. This general tendency is manifested most clearly in the evolution of the homo branch of primates and homo sapience by the evolution of larger brains resulting in elevated learning capacity and creative problem solving and innovation, identified by some scholars as the most distinctive characteristic of our species. In this context the article argues that language can be defined as a repository of knowledge and a tool for preservation, accumulation, dissemination and creative reuse of knowledge and previous experience in stimulating future innovation. The origin of language is understood as behavioural innovation which, given its adaptive utility, triggered interaction of biological and cultural evolution resulting in a human language faculty as innate predispositions for effective learning the basic aspects of language, both meaning and structure , most essential for its primary function of knowledge preservation and dissemination. On the other hand, the grammatical and semantic idiosyncrasies demonstrated in language diversity are explained by cultural evolution of languages in service of social and cultural identity of the communities.
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Reference: lingbuzz/006404
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keywords: climate change, human speciation, evolution of language, language faculty, innovation, semantics, syntax
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