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One hypothesis to explain the emergence of language in the primate lineage is that manual grooming, seen in most primates, has been gradually replaced by vocal grooming, eventually leading to the emergence of spoken language. This hypothesis is based on the observation that, similar to manual grooming, human language plays a key role in building and maintaining affiliative bonds and group cohesion. The purpose of this entry is to review the empirical literature to evaluate the vocal grooming hypothesis.
Introduction
The biological success of our species is partly grounded in a major evolutionary transition in mental capacities from self-serving, competitive to group-oriented, cooperative social relationships. Compared to other primates, humans are much more collaborative, prosocial, and amenable to social norms, with far-reaching implications at almost every level of human activity, including language. Human...
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References
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Zuberbuhler, K., Fedurek, P. (2016). Vocal Grooming. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3315-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3315-1
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