Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id KAA09446 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 12 Apr 2002 10:48:05 +0100 Message-ID: <570E2BEE7BC5A34684EE5914FCFC368C10FC18@fillan.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Re Grammar Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 10:40:12 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" X-Filter-Info: UoS MailScan 0.1 [D 1] X-MailScanner: Found to be clean Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Isn't this a bit like the evolution of wings argument? (or eyes for that
matter?) The idea that an "incomplete" version of some physical
characteristic is useless so things like wings couldn't have evolved (as,
believe it or not, my biology teacher once argued about the eye). For
insects I believe rudimentary wings may have had some heat control function,
which later as a side effect, if you like, became useful for flight.
For language isn't there the problem of the human larynx position in babies,
which can block the airway, but needs to be there so that as we get older it
allows us to make the complex sounds for language? I mean problem here not
for evolutionary theory, simply in the sense of infant survival rates as a
pay off for the adaptive advantage of language.
Does any of that have anything to do with grammar.... probably not.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Price, Ilfryn
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 9:26 AM
> To: Memetics List (E-mail)
> Subject: RE: Re Grammar
>
> It works once you have language but Morgan's argument in the Aquatic Ape
> Hypothesis (sorry my copy of the book is in a crate at the moment so no
> detailed references) is that the variety of vocalisation we can make, and
> other primate species cannot, is only possible because of a particular
> arrangment of the respiratory and digestive systems. How did that get
> selected pre-language. A breathing explanation seems more plausible.
>
> If
>
> Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2002 06:30:51 -0700
>
> From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com>
>
> Subject: RE: Re Grammar
>
> The straightforward explanation is that language allows communication of
> important survival information both in the moment and from old to new
> generations.
>
>
> If Price
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