Studies in Language Origins: Volume 3

This collection brings together the best papers presented at recent meetings of the Language Origins Society. The volume reflects the diversity of approaches from many disciplines that are used to unravel the mystery of the origin of language: linguistics, anatomy, physiology, paleoanthropology, neuropsychology, physical anthropology, evolutionary biology and psychology.

Table of Contents:
1. Notes on contributors; 2. Introduction by the editors; 3. 1. A functional reconstruction of the supralaryngeal vocal tract of the fossil hominid from Petralona (by Budil, Ivo); 4. 2. A much-too-brief evolutionary history of the mammalian middle ear (by Daniel, Hal J.); 5. 3. Spatial mapping and the origin of language: A paleoneurological model (by Wallace, Ron); 6. 4. Some acoustic properties of baby-talk and the prototype effect in infant speech perception (by Davis, Barbara L.); 7. 5. Cerebral lateralization for cognitive and linguistic abilities: Neuropsychological and cultural aspects (by Chernigovskaya, Tatiana V.); 8. 6. Echolocation: An acoustic causal function. Semiotic and linguistic aspects (by Frundt, Hans); 9. 7. Further evidence of verbal and non-verbal communication between the mother and her unborn child in the womb - in support of the author's theory of the bi-modal origin of language (by Raffler-Engel, Walburga von); 10. 8. The Neanderthals: The origins of language and human consciousness? (by Jonker, Abraham); 11. 9. Motor theory of language origin: The diversity of languages (by Allott, Robin); 12. 10. Sign arbitrariness as an index of semiogenesis (by Liska, Jo); 13. 11. Language as analogic strategy: Suggestions for evolutionary research (by Foster, Mary LeCron); 14. 12. Vocal/auditory cognitive mapping, shared meaning and consciousness (by Ragir, Sonia); 15. 13. Historical motivation in the linguistic sign and its cognitive origin (by Gyori, Gabor); 16. 14. The red marbles of phonological and semantic stability through the ages (by Key, Mary Ritchie); 17. 15. The elaboration of language structure (by McArthur, Douglas); 18. 16. The use of the scenario method in the historical sciences (by Greenhood, William); 19. 17. Developments in the pongid and human motor systems as preadaptations for the evolution of human language ability (by Kien, Jenny); 20. 18. The gestural origin of language and new neurological data (by Hewes, Gordon W.); 21. 19. Memory for personal information: Have names become special? (by Burton, A. Mike); 22. Name index; 23. Subject index