How the language capacity was naturally selected: Altriciality and long immaturity

Abstract

Critical factors that appear to encourage vocal development in humans are altriciality and long immaturity. Hominid infants appear to have evolved a specific tendency to use elaborate vocalization as a means of soliciting long-term investment from caregivers. The development of such vocal capacity provides necessary infrastructure for language development across human life history. © 2006 Cambridge University Press.

Publication Title

Behavioral and Brain Sciences

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