tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9543346.post2782263249983996084..comments2009-02-05T04:58:00.607+01:00Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348172781757483036noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9543346.post-66601125869793424292009-02-05T04:58:00.000+01:002009-02-05T04:58:00.000+01:00The next essay in the series is "The Human Star": <BR/><BR/>http://remotecentral.blogspot.com/search/label/Human%20Evolution%20On%20Trial%20-%20Human%20Starterrythttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17327062321100035888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9543346.post-84516123107119414282008-06-28T00:38:00.000+02:002008-06-28T00:38:00.000+02:00This is simply my guess, based on my perception of how evolution in general works. I've touched on the subject a little in the essay "Culture". I would guess that, like evolution in general, if we could somehow look at every detail of language evolution, we would have a great deal of difficulty defining exactly when language first evolved. <BR/><BR/>The many genes involved would have to spread through the population over generations. Simple language at first (whatever that means) and basic genes. But languages would therefore have been diversified right since they first developed. But, like genes including Y-chromosome and mtDNA haplogroups, they are altered or even replaced as new ones are introduced. (Of course you can't just "alter" a population's Y-chromosome and mtDNA haplogroups. They're either totally or partially replaced).terrythttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17327062321100035888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9543346.post-89374546825655890082008-06-27T00:49:00.000+02:002008-06-27T00:49:00.000+02:00Hi Terry - re: <BR/><BR/>"Humans have many instincts. One of them is the ability to learn a language (Ridley 2000). We’ll come back to language periodically"<BR/><BR/>I wonder at what point in human evolution people became multi-lingual.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04348172781757483036noreply@blogger.com