@article {76, title = {The evolution of the ability to speak}, year = {2012}, publisher = {Nederlandse Vereniging voor Fonetische Wetenschappen}, address = {Utrecht, The Netherlands}, abstract = {

In this lecture I review some of the evidence for when and how speech evolved. This evidence appears to indicate that adaptations to speech started to occur at least 500000 years ago. I will also show how computer models and experiments can help to interpret this evidence: by reconstructing our ancestors{\textquoteright} vocal abilities, and by reconstructing how they may have sounded. Finally, I will discuss the relation between evolution of anatomy and the evolution of cognition, arguing that although we have undergone evolutionary selection for anatomy, cognitive adaptations must have been primary.

}, author = {Bart de Boer} }