Evolution of human speech communication: an experimental study of speech precursors found in primates

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H03503
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90030:Cognitive science-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Koda Hiroki 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 特定准教授 (70418763)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 西村 剛 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 准教授 (80452308) ; 足立 幾磨 京都大学, 霊長類研究所, 准教授 (80543214) ; 森田 尭 大阪大学, 産業科学研究所, 助教 (10837587)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 発話進化 / 言語進化 / 発声運動 / 随意運動 / 身体動作

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Human language is a function of the human mind, and in order to investigate its evolution, it is necessary to examine the various biological characteristics that give rise to language. In this project, we set the evolution of speech as one of the biological components and investigated the characteristics of vocalizations of monkeys from psychological, physiological, and morphological viewpoints to examine the characteristics of vocalizations that were established prior to human speech. In particular, the central theme of the study was to train monkeys in vocal motor learning experiments and to investigate the characteristics of their vocal motor operations. The results of the analysis revealed that the vocal movement operations of monkeys were learned voluntarily, but that the body movements, especially the head movements, were always accompanied and preceded by the vocal movements.

Free Research Field

認知生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

サルを対象にした発声操作の訓練は、訓練に大変手間がかかるため、世界でも取り組む研究者が少なかった。そのため、特に成獣個体での、発声操作中の身体動作との結合性の解析については、手付かずだった。論文成果は現在取りまとめしているが、初めて得られた知見も多く、ヒトのみが発話を獲得した経緯について、全身の身体動作の成熟とどのような関連があったかについての重要な報告となり、人類進化の議論に大きな貢献をもたらすと考えられる。