Biological Foundations and Origin of Syntax

by Bickerton, Derek; Szathmary, Eors

• ISBN13: 9780262013567
• ISBN10: 0262013568
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-10-30
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

Syntax is arguably the most human-specific aspect of language. Despite the proto-linguistic capacities of some animals, syntax appears to be the last major evolutionary transition in humans that has some genetic basis. Yet what are the elements to a scenario that can explain such a transition? In this book, experts from linguistics, neurology and neurobiology, cognitive psychology, ecology and evolutionary biology, and computer modeling address this question. Unlike most previous work on the evolution of language, Biological Foundations and Origin of Syntaxfollows through on a growing consensus among researchers that language can be profitably separated into a number of related and interacting but largely autonomous functions, each of which may have a distinguishable evolutionary history and neurological base. The contributors argue that syntax is such a function. The book describes the current state of research on syntax in different fields, with special emphasis on areas in which the findings of particular disciplines might shed light on problems faced by other disciplines. It defines areas where consensus has been established with regard to the nature, infrastructure, and evolution of the syntax of natural languages; summarizes and evaluates contrasting approaches in areas that remain controversial; and suggests lines for future research to resolve at least some of these disputed issues. Strungmann Forum Reports

Table of Contents

The Ernst Strungmann Forum	p. vii
List of Contributors	p. ix
Preface	p. xiii
Background
Syntax for Non-syntacticians
A Brief Primer	p. 3
The Biological Background of Syntax Evolution	p. 15
Functional Neuroimaging and the Logic of Brain Operations	p. 41
Methodologies, Caveats, and Fundamental Examples from Language Research
Syntactics
Some Elements of Syntactic Computations	p. 63
The Adaptive Approach to Grammar	p. 89
Fundamental Syntactic Phenomena and Their Putative Relation to the Brain	p. 117
What Kinds of Syntactic Phenomena Must Biologists, Neurobiologists, and Computer Scientists Try to Explain and Replicate?	p. 135
Evolution
Possible Precursors of Syntactic Components in Other Species	p. 161
What Can Developmental Language Impairment Tell Us about the Genetic Bases of Syntax?	p. 185
What Are the Possible Biological and Genetic Foundations for Syntactic Phenomena?
Brain
Brain Circuits of Syntax	p. 239
Neural Organization for Syntactic Processing as Determined by Effects of Lesions	p. 253
Logic, Data, and Difficult Questions
Reflections on the Neurobiology of Syntax	p. 279
What Are the Brain Mechanisms Underlying Syntactic Operations?	p. 299
Modeling
Syntax as an Adaptation to the Learner	p. 325
Cognition and Social Dynamics Play a Major Role in the Formation of Grammar	p. 345
What Can Formal or Computational Models Tell Us about How (Much) Language Shaped the Brain?	p. 369
What Can Mathematical, Computational, and Robotic Models Tell Us about the Origins of Syntax?	p. 385
Glossary	p. 411
Bibliography	p. 417
Subject Index	p. 465
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