The Here and Now Podcast

Language V - The Great Leap

February 24, 2021 The Here and Now Podcast with Dave Monds Episode 63
The Here and Now Podcast
Language V - The Great Leap
Show Notes

In this final episode of part I of our series on language, we examine the non-gradualist theory of the emergence of language, also referred to as The Great Leap theory which argues that complex human language appeared suddenly around 50,000 years ago. 

We consider the evidence and arguments for and against this theory made by archeologists, linguists and anthropologists and briefly introduce several of MIT linguist Noam Chomsky's theories and Professor Quentin Atkinson's intriguing theory of a serial-founder effect of language. 

Show Notes

The Here and Now Podcast Language Series
Oldest cave art found in Sulawesi – A. Brumm et al. (2021)
45,500 year old Sulawesi warty pig painting found in Indonesian cave
Why only us: Language and evolution. R. Berwick & N. Chomsky (2017)
Masters of the planet: The search for our human origins. I. Tatersall (2012)
The dawn of human culture. R. Klein (2007)
The truth about language: What it is and where it came from. M. Corballis (2017)
Natural language and natural selection. S. Pinker & P. Bloom (1990)
On nature and language. N. Chomsky with A. Belletti & L. Rizzi. (2002)
What exactly is Universal Grammar and has anyone seen it?
Principles and parameters
Language: The cultural tool. D. Everett (2012)
Lascaux cave complex – Wikipedia
The revolution that wasn’t: A new interpretation of the origin of modern human behaviour. S. Mcbrearty & S. Brooks (2000)
When humans became human
Phonemic diversity supports a serial founder effect model of language expansion from Africa. Q. Atkinson (2011).

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