How human language evolved from the need for social communication

The origins of human language remain hotly debated. Despite growing appreciation of cognitive and neural continuity between humans and other animals, an evolutionary account of human language—in its modern form—remains as elusive as ever. The Social Origins of Language provides a novel perspective on this question and charts a new path toward its resolution.

Robert M. Seyfarth is professor of psychology and Dorothy L. Cheney is professor of biology at the University of Pennsylvania. They are the coauthors of How Monkeys See the World: Inside the Mind of Another Species and Baboon Metaphysics: The Evolution of a Social Mind. Michael L. Platt is the James S. Riepe University Professor of neuroscience, psychology, and marketing at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Centered on the seminal work of Seyfarth and Cheney, this concise book provides a fine overview of what leading investigators consider the likely origins of language. While The Social Origins of Language shows that this issue remains unclear, it lays out the full spectrum of intriguing possibilities."--Dale Purves, coeditor of Neuroscience

"The origin of language is a perplexing problem because important elements, such as semantics and syntax, have no parallels in other taxa. In this book, Seyfarth and Cheney contend that a productive approach would focus on pragmatics, as meaning provides important insight about the selective value of vocal signals. Their argument is debated by experts from a range of disciplines, making this essential reading for all those interested in how language evolved."--Joan Silk, coauthor of How Humans Evolved