Ignacio MARTÍNEZ1,2, Rolf QUAM2,3,4, Manuel ROSA5, Pilar JARABO5, Carlos LORENZO2,6, Ana GRACIA1,2 , José Luis ARSUAGA2,7
1. Universidad de Alcalá. Dpto. de Geología (Área de Paleontología), Alcalá de Henares 28871 Spain; 2. Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre la Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid 28029 Spain; 3. Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000 USA; 4. Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024 USA; 5 Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares 28871 Spain; 6. Institut de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Área de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona 43005 Spain; 7. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Madrid 28040 Spain.
ABSTRACT: The origin and evolution of speech can be approached from the analysis of the paleontological record. Historically, this has mainly dealt with the reconstruction of the upper respiratory tract of human fossils [1-2]. However, after decades of controversy no clear results have arisen from these studies. We propose a new approach to this issue based on the possibility to reconstruct the sound power transmission, through the external and middle ear, in fossil specimens. Of all the human special senses, audition is the most readily accessible in skeletal remains since it is based on physical properties that can be approached through their skeletal structures [3-4]. Studying auditory capacities in fossil species is a major challenge, but has become feasible since the advent of CT-based analyses. The results obtained in the more than 500 kyr old fossils from the site of the Sima de los Huesos (SH) in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain) show that these hominins had the same auditory capacities as modern humans [5]. Specifically, they show a widened bandwidth of heightened sensitivity in the midrange frequencies compared with chimpanzees. The Mathematical Theory of Information developed by Claude Shannon [6-7] offers an appropriate theoretical framework within which to interpret these results. The widened bandwidth suggests a greater channel capacity characterized the Atapuerca (SH) hominins, a feature that is directly correlated with the amount of acoustic information that can be received by the human ear.
Recieved: Oct.10, 2010 Accepted: Dec.2, 2010 Corresponding: imartinezm@isciii.es
《现代人类学通讯》第四卷e43篇 第202-203页 2010年12月16日网上发行
会议摘要
语言的起源:古生物学的证据
易那修•马丁尼兹1,2, 若夫•款2,3,4, 曼努埃尔•罗萨5, 皮拉尔•哈拉波5, 卡洛斯•罗润佐2,6, 安娜•格拉夏1,2, 胡瑟-路易斯•阿刷加2,7
1.阿尔卡拉大学 地质系 古生物学组,西班牙 阿尔卡拉-德-埃纳雷斯28871;2.进化与人类行为研究中心,西班牙 马德里28029;3.宾汉屯大学 人类学系,美国 纽约州 宾汉屯13902-6000;4.美国自然博物馆 人类学部,美国 纽约州 纽约10024;5.阿尔卡拉-德-埃纳雷斯大学,西班牙 阿尔卡拉-德-埃纳雷斯28871;6.洛维拉维吉利大学 史前学组 人类古生态学与进化社会学研究所,西班牙 塔拉戈纳43005;7.马德里完全大学 古生物学系 地质科学组,西班牙 马德里28040.
摘要:语音的起源和进化可以通过研究古生物学的资料得到线索。历史上,这项工作主要是通过对人类化石的上呼吸道的重建得以实现[1-2]。然而,经过多年的争论,此方面的研究并没有得到一个明确的结果。本文提出了新的研究方法,这个方法的基础是有可能根据化石推测声音通过外耳和中耳传播的途径。在人类的各种感官中,听力是可以通过察骨骼结构而了解的一种物理属性,因而最容易研究[3-4]。根据人类化石研究听力难度很大,直到CT技术发展之后才变得可行。对阿塔坡卡的洛斯胡色裂谷遗址50万年前的人类化石的研究结果表明,这个古人种拥有与现代人相同的听觉能力 [5]。和黑猩猩相比,他们的中段频率中的频带宽度更宽,代表更高的灵敏度。克劳德香农发展的信息数学理论[6-7]为这些结果提供了适当的理论基础。阿塔坡卡古人类较宽的频带宽度显示了更大的通路容量,这一特性直接与人耳能接收到的声音信息的数量相关。
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