The nature, function and evolution of signal complexity in animal and human communication systems

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I research structural and functional properties of human and animal communication. The goal is to identify general principles affecting the evolution of communication systems and the anatomical, behavioural, perceptual and cognitive processes that support them. Ultimately, this will help us to understand the evolution of human language, in particular, which was a key event for our species with profound long-term consequences for behaviour, cognition and technology but whose timing and precipitating factors remain poorly understood. I tackle these problems in two general ways: 1. By studying specific properties of contemporary language directly to gain insight into the current organization of language and its connections to behavior and cognition, and; 2. By studying similar properties of communication in other species to identify alternative possible organizations and evolutionary paths communication systems can take. This grant focuses on the nature, organization and evolution of signal complexity and the possiblity that it is grounded in biological processes common across human languages and possibly also across species. One line of research examines a novel word form bias identified in humans, and begins to test its cross-language prevalence and the articulatory and perceptual processes involved that might facilitate or constrain phonetic and lexical diversification and also influence language learnability. It also tests a novel hypothesis that the descended position of the larynx in humans was evolutionarily co-opted to phonetic and lexical diversification rather than their driving force, which has broader implications for the timing of language origins and also for the emergence of behavioral, cultural, and cognitive phenomena assumed to flow from it. A second line of research focuses on birdsong as an alternative model for evaluating the nature and evolution of signal complexity. Projects focus on analogous articulatory and perceptual factors potentially influencing signal variety in birdsong. They also address the role of language-like, dialect processes in spurring regional song and genetic diversity in birds and possibly speciation.