Neurobiology of Social Communication In Primates

Neurobiology of Social Communication in Primates: An Evolutionary Perspective presents evidence on the neural basis of communicative behavior in primates, reevaluating the relationship between human language and animal communication in view of the linguistic abilities of chimpanzees.

This book consists of 10 chapters. Chapter 1 discusses some of the persistent problems in evolutionary neurobiology of primate communication. The effects of brain lesions and stimulation on vocalization in New and Old World monkeys, relation between species differences in peripheral vocal structures and species contrasts in vocal performance, and anatomy and physiology of the nonhuman primate auditory system are reviewed in Chapters 2 to 4. Chapters 5 to 7 examine the effects of electrical brain stimulation on human verbal communication and facial expression, clinical data pertaining to language pathologies, and neural mechanisms of manual and oral control. The last three chapters summarize the materials presented in earlier chapters.

This publication is recommended for neuroscientists, behavioral biologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and students interested in the evolutionary heritage of human speech and language.

Contenu

List of Contributors
Preface
Acknowledgments
1 Introductory Comments and Overview
2 Neural Control of Vocalization in Nonhuman Primates
Introdution
Stimulation Studies
Neuroanatomical Studies
Lesion Studies
Recording Studies
Conclusions
References
3 Mechanisms Underlying Vocal Control in Nonhuman Primates
Introduction
The Peripheral Vocal Apparatus
Central Nervous System
Vocal Behavior in Nonhuman Primates
Imitation of Vocal Signals
Conditionability of Vocal Signals
Summary
References
4 Central Nervous System Processing of Sounds in Primates
Introduction
Anatomy of Auditory Cortex
Physiology of the Auditory Pathway in Primates
Acoustic Activation of Units Outside the Auditory Pathway
Evoked Potential Mapping of Primate Auditory Cortex
Effects of Auditory Cortex Ablations on Sound Perception
General Conclusions
References
5 Cortical and Subcortical Organization of Human Communication: Evidence from Stimulation Studies
Electrical Stimulation as a Technique in Behavioral Investigation
The Organization of Language in Human Cortex as Indicated by Alterations in Naming
Subdivisions of Cortical Language Processes
Subcortical Language Function
The Evolutionary Significance of the Cortical and Subcortical Patterns of Language and Memory Organization as Derived from Stimulation Studies
References
6 Language Representation in the Brain
Localization: Some Problems
A Brain Model of Language
Clinical Pathology of Language
General Conclusions
References
7 Neuromotor Mechanisms in the Evolution of Human Communication
Introduction
Evolution of Communication in Man
Neural Mechanisms
Summary and Conclusions
References
8 Specialization and the Language Areas
Introduction
The Abilities of Nonhuman Primates
The Brain
Conclusion
References
9 Behavioral and Neurobiological Aspects of Primate Vocalization and Facial Expression
Introduction
Behavioral Data
Neurobiological Data
Summary and Conclusions
References
10 Requisites for Language: Interspecific and Evolutionary Aspects
Introduction
Cognition
Production
Perception
Evolution
References
Index