Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2003 - Volume 26, Issue 03  


Short Communication

Message and medium: Lowly and action-related origins

Peter F. MacNeilage a1 and Barbara L. Davis a2
a1 Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 macneilage@psy.utexas.edu
a2 Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 babs@mail.utexas.edu

Abstract

Hurford presents a much-needed lowly origins scenario for the evolution of conceptual precursors to lexical items. But more is still needed on action, regarding both the message level of lexical concepts and the medium. We summarize our complementary action-based lowly origins (frame/content) scenario for the vocal auditory medium of language, which, like Hurford's scenario, is anchored in a phylogenetically old neurological dichotomy.