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[ba-unrev-talk] Fwd: CG: Conceptual structures in apes?



>From: "John F. Sowa" <sowa@bestweb.net>
>
>Following is an interesting article about the great apes
>(gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos).  Apparently, the area of
>the human brain that is specialized for language evolved in the
>apes, even though they don't have vocalizations that are anywhere
>nearly as complex.
>
>It gives greater evidence for two points:  (1) sophisticated conceptual
>structures preceded language, and (2) sign language is closer to
>spoken language than had previously been thought.
>
>A couple of key paragraphs excerpted below.
>
>John Sowa
>_______________________________________________________________________
>
>Ape brains show linguistic promise
>
>Three members of the family of great apes have a crucial speech-related
>brain feature previously thought unique to humans.   This is the finding
>of a pair of researchers in Atlanta, Georgia, US, who carried out
>magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on chimpanzees, bonobos and
>gorillas.   They say they were surprised no-one had looked for the
>crucial lopsided structure in great apes before.
>
>"This may be explained by the contribution that gestures have made to
>the evolution of human language and speech," they speculate.  Captive
>great apes tend to gesture with their right hands, especially when
>making some kind of vocal noise, they note.
>
>Source:
>
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/sci/tech/newsid_1680000/1680851.stm
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