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Stereotyped Vocalizations

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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Synonyms

Larynx; Oral cavity; Pharynx; Voice box

Definition

Stereotyped vocalization: Evolved, species-typical vocal act with signal character.

Introduction

How did human communication evolve from an animal-like vocal system to spoken language? Research on primate communication in particular has produced a wealth of data, which highlight the various evolutionary continuities and discontinuities between animal and human communication. Research topics include the mechanisms and flexibility of sound production, how different call units are assembled into complex utterances, how meaning is extracted from vocal structures, and how the psychological mechanisms underlying animal call production and comprehension compare to those of humans. The purpose of this chapter is to present the state-of-the-art of these various strands of research and to show how methodological tools of linguistics can help decipher animal communication.

Animal Vocal Behavior

Vocal Control

Mammalian vocalizations are...

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References

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Correspondence to Klaus Zuberbühler .

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Zuberbühler, K., Chemla, E., Schlenker, P. (2021). Stereotyped Vocalizations. In: Shackelford, T.K., Weekes-Shackelford, V.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19650-3_3330

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