The Origin of Language: Insight from neuroethology of gestural communication in nonhuman primates

Adrien MEGUERDITCHIAN (Eq. DéPhy)

When: March 17th - 11h/12h

Where: Salle des Voûtes 

Summary: Language is an unique communicative system involving hemispheric lateralization of the brain. To discuss the question of its origins, I will highlight the works on the communicative gestures in our primate cousins and their brain correlates. Indeed, nonhuman primates communicate mostly communicate not only with a rich vocal repertoire but also with manual and body gestures. In the last 20 years, we investigated this gestural system in the baboons Papio anubis, an Old World monkey species, as well as its lateralization and cortical correlates across development, using both ethological, psychology and longitudinal noninvasive in vivo brain imaging approach (MRI). In the present talk, I will summarize our main findings showing similar key intentional, referential “domain general” properties of language as well as some similar underlying structural hemispheric specialization including Broca, the Planum Temporale and the STS. I will also present our recent MRI longitudinal work documenting their brain ontogeny from birth and how they pave the way for the further emergence of gesture lateralization across development.