The origins of language are unknown. Now that's out of the way we can get on with investigating several of the possibilities in this second episode of our series on language. This episode considers Daniel Everett's gradualism thesis that the hominid Homo erectus was an early adopter of language as evidenced by their extensive travels and creation of icons and symbols. We explore this thesis, Pierces' semiotics model, and evidence from the fossil record. Remember, this is a gentle introduction to the topic which fills volumes. You can find much more detail in the reading list below.
Show Notes
The Here and Now Podcast Language Series
How Language Began – Daniel Everett (2017)
How Language Began – Daniel Everett TED talk (YouTube)
Language: The cultural tool - Daniel Everett (2012)
The Evolution of Language – W. Tecumseh Fitch (2010)
Talking the Talk: Language Psychology and Science – Trevor Harley (2017)
Homo erectus - Wikipedia
Homo erectus may have been a sailor and able to speak – The Guardian (2018)
Homo floresiensis - making sense of the small bodied hominin fossils from Flores - K. Baab (2012)
Oldowan tools
Charles Pierce’s Semiotic Theory of Signs
The Makapangskat Pebble
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