The evolution of human language. an alternative scenario

Titolo Rivista PARADIGMI
Autori/Curatori Francesco Suman, Telmo Pievani
Anno di pubblicazione 2015 Fascicolo 2015/2
Lingua Italiano Numero pagine 24 P. 173-196 Dimensione file 100 KB
DOI 10.3280/PARA2015-002011
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FrancoAngeli è membro della Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA)associazione indipendente e non profit per facilitare (attraverso i servizi tecnologici implementati da CrossRef.org) l’accesso degli studiosi ai contenuti digitali nelle pubblicazioni professionali e scientifiche

Riportando dati aggiornati, si sviluppa la proposta di Deacon (2010) sul ruolo giocato da un rilassamento delle pressioni selettive nell’evoluzione del linguaggio articolato nell’uomo, fornendo un plausibile scenario evolutivo di supporto, basato sull’ipotesi dell'"auto-addomesticazione" (Gibbons, 2014). Ci si sofferma in particolare su alcuni tratti neotenici dello sviluppo, caratteristici dell’attuale Homo sapiens, sostenendo l’importanza (sia a livello individuale, sia a livello di gruppo) che questi possono aver ricoperto nel corso dell’evoluzione umana e associando la loro diffusione a un rilassamento delle pressioni selettive. Si fornisce un’ipotesi di come una simile condizione ecologica possa essere stata raggiunta, facendo riferimento alla teoria della costruzione di nicchia e portando l’esempio del controllo del fuoco. Si presentano infine alcuni possibili sviluppi dell’ipotesi qui presentata che possono risultare fecondi all’interno del dibattito sull’evoluzione del linguaggio.;

Keywords:Auto-addomesticazione, Costruzione di nicchia, Evoluzione del linguaggio, Exaptation, Neotenia, Rilassamento delle pressioni selettive.

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Francesco Suman, Telmo Pievani, The evolution of human language. an alternative scenario in "PARADIGMI" 2/2015, pp 173-196, DOI: 10.3280/PARA2015-002011