A modality-independent, neurobiological grounding for the combinatory capacity of the language-ready brain. Comment on "Towards a computational comparative neuroprimatology: framing the language-ready brain" by Michael A. Arbib
| dc.contributor.author | Bornkessel Schlesewsky, I. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Alday, P.M. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Schlesewsky, M. | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016 | |
| dc.description.abstract | In this comprehensive review of his past and current work on language evolution, Arbib [1]argues that “the capa-bility for protosign – rather than elaborations intrinsic to the core vocalization systems – may [...] have provided the essential scaffolding for protospeech and evolution of the human language-ready brain” (p.25). He hypothesises that this evolutionary trajectory is based on the mirror system and mechanisms of complex imitation that developed by drawing on systems “beyond the mirror”. As Arbib himself discusses in detail, the claim that gestural combinatorics of increasing complexity and symbolisation formed a prerequisite for the evolution of auditory speech and language is rather controversial. Though, in our own previous work, we have emphasised the importance of the computational properties of the auditory system in defining the language-ready brain [2], we would like to focus on a somewhat dif-ferent, and perhaps even more foundational issue for the purposes of this commentary: are there basic neurobiological mechanisms that underlie combinatory processing irrespective of modality? | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Physics of Life Reviews, 2016; 16:55-57 | |
| dc.identifier.doi | 10.1016/j.plrev.2016.01.003 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 1571-0645 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | 1873-1457 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/11541.2/118225 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Elsevier | |
| dc.rights | Copyright 2016 Elsevier Access Condition Notes: This article is free to read online | |
| dc.source.uri | https://pure.mpg.de/rest/items/item_2465049/component/file_2465048/content | |
| dc.subject | language evolution | |
| dc.subject | neuroprimatology | |
| dc.title | A modality-independent, neurobiological grounding for the combinatory capacity of the language-ready brain. Comment on "Towards a computational comparative neuroprimatology: framing the language-ready brain" by Michael A. Arbib | |
| dc.type | Journal article | |
| pubs.publication-status | Published | |
| ror.mmsid | 9916038585601831 |