Language Evolution and Computation Bibliography

In this chapter, we show that from a minimal neural kit for vocal replication, a shared combinatorial speech code with structural regularities and diversity spontaneously self-organizes in a population of agents. This allows to understand that the evolutionary step from vocal replication systems to modern human speech systems might have been rather small.

One of the most distinctive characteristics of human language is the extent to which it relies on learned vocal signals. Communication systems are ubiquitous in the natural world but vocal learning is a comparatively rare evolutionary development (Jarvis, 2004). In this paper we take one example of this phenomena, bird song, which displays some remarkable parallels with human language (Doupe \& Kuhl, 1999), and we focus on one particular case study, that of the Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata var. domestica), a domesticated species whose song behaviour differs strikingly from its feral ancestor in that it has complex syntax and is heavily influenced by early learning (Okanoya, 2002). We present a computational model of the evolutionary history of the Bengalese finch which demonstrates how an increase in song complexity and increased influence from early learning could evolve spontaneously as a result of domestication. We argue that this may provide an insight into how increased reliance on vocal learning could evolve in other communication systems, including human language.

Language change is considered as a transition of population among languages. The language dynamics equation represents such a transition of population. Our purpose in this paper is to develop a new formalism of language dynamics for a real situation of language contact. We assume a situation that memoryless learners are exposed to a number of languages. We show experimental results, in which contact with other language speakers during acquisition period deteriorates the learning accuracy and prevents the emergence of a dominant language. If we suppose a communicative language, when learners are frequently exposed to a variety of languages, the language earns relatively higher rate of population. We discuss the communicative language from the viewpoint of the language bioprogram hypothesis.