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Experimental evidence for the co-evolution of hominin tool-making teaching and language

Author

Listed:
  • T. J. H. Morgan

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews
    University of California)

  • N. T. Uomini

    (Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool
    Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
    Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • L. E. Rendell

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews)

  • L. Chouinard-Thuly

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews
    McGill University)

  • S. E. Street

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews
    Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews)

  • H. M. Lewis

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews
    University College London)

  • C. P. Cross

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews
    Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews)

  • C. Evans

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews)

  • R. Kearney

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews)

  • I. de la Torre

    (Institute of Archaeology, University College London)

  • A. Whiten

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews)

  • K. N. Laland

    (Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews)

Abstract

Hominin reliance on Oldowan stone tools—which appear from 2.5 mya and are believed to have been socially transmitted—has been hypothesized to have led to the evolution of teaching and language. Here we present an experiment investigating the efficacy of transmission of Oldowan tool-making skills along chains of adult human participants (N=184) using five different transmission mechanisms. Across six measures, transmission improves with teaching, and particularly with language, but not with imitation or emulation. Our results support the hypothesis that hominin reliance on stone tool-making generated selection for teaching and language, and imply that (i) low-fidelity social transmission, such as imitation/emulation, may have contributed to the ~700,000 year stasis of the Oldowan technocomplex, and (ii) teaching or proto-language may have been pre-requisites for the appearance of Acheulean technology. This work supports a gradual evolution of language, with simple symbolic communication preceding behavioural modernity by hundreds of thousands of years.

Suggested Citation

  • T. J. H. Morgan & N. T. Uomini & L. E. Rendell & L. Chouinard-Thuly & S. E. Street & H. M. Lewis & C. P. Cross & C. Evans & R. Kearney & I. de la Torre & A. Whiten & K. N. Laland, 2015. "Experimental evidence for the co-evolution of hominin tool-making teaching and language," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms7029
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7029
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    Cited by:

    1. Yo Nakawake & Kosuke Sato, 2019. "Systematic quantitative analyses reveal the folk-zoological knowledge embedded in folktales," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Christine Cuskley, 2019. "Alien forms for alien language: investigating novel form spaces in cultural evolution," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Elisa Bandini & Rachel A. Harrison & Alba Motes-Rodrigo, 2022. "Examining the suitability of extant primates as models of hominin stone tool culture," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Aliki Papa & Mioara Cristea & Nicola McGuigan & Monica Tamariz, 2021. "Effects of verbal instruction vs. modelling on imitation and overimitation," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, December.

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