Group size, vocal grooming and the origins of language
Open accessAbstract
I argue that speech and language evolved through a series of stages individually designed to break through successive glass ceilings on group size. Language was simply the last of these (and hence evolved late in hominin evolution), but its precursors (laughter and singing) each played a crucial role in preparing the way for speech production.
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Heart Rate Variability Synchronizes When Non-experts Vocalize Together
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“It has also been proposed that vocalizing together offers an efficient way to create bonds, which was likely an important adaptive trait for our human ancestors (Dunbar, 2017).”
Background
- Authors
- Dunbar, R. I. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Dunbar, R. I. M.
- Venue
- Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
- Published
- 2016-07-26
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 209-212
- ISSN
- 1069-9384 (ISSN-L)
- 1531-5320
- OpenAlex
- W2489225168
- Cited by
- 53
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 7
- FWCI
- 37.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychonomic Bulletin & Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) (University of Oxford) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- European Research Council (295663)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology › Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Keywords
- group size, origin of language, speech evolution, hominin evolution, laughter, singing
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Behavior, Animal, Humans, Language, Laughter, Hominidae, Singing
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