The Origins Of Human Speech
Scientists have searched for the origins of human speech in the hoots, grunts, and other vocalizations made by primates. It would seem to make sense, after all, that such sounds may be related to the more varied and articulated sounds we humans make. But there are significant differences.
For example, human speech is learned, made using controlled and rapid movements of the tongue, lips, and jaw. Primatevocalizations, on the other hand, are not learned but innate.
So some researchers are now considering the hypothesis that human speech evolved not from primate sounds but more from monkey facial gestures.
Specifically, scientists are interested in how monkeys smack their lips to communicate. Using x ray movies, researchers at Princeton and the University of Vienna have found that primate lip smacking is much more complex than it appears. Like human speech, lip smacking requires quick, controlled movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, and hyoid bone, which supports the larynx and tongue.
For example, if you’ve been to a zoo you’ve probably seen chimps making loud lip smacks and buzzing sounds, like blowing a raspberry. Scientists believe that these sounds are a controlled form of chimp communication.
This research doesn’t quite solve the puzzle of the evolution of human speech. But it is a fascinating clue that the way we speak may have developed from a combination of sounds produced by the vocal cords and by rapid, controlled movements of the vocal tract, including lips, tongue and jaw.
人類語言的起源
科學家一直在通過研究靈長類動物發出的鳴響聲、呼嚕聲以及其他發音來探尋人類語言的起源。這似乎很有道理，畢竟這些聲音與人類發出的更加多變、更加清晰的聲音有相似之處。其實，兩者之間還是有很大不同的。
比如，人類語言是後天習得的，人類通過控制舌頭、嘴脣和下顎間的快速運動來發聲。而靈長類動物的發音則是天生而非後天形成的。
因此，一些研究人員現在做出假設：人類語言並不是從靈長類動物的聲音進化而來，而是從猴子的面部表情進化而來的。
科學家對於猴子如何通過脣動來相互交流尤其感到興趣。美國普林斯頓大學和奧地利維也納大學的研研究人員通過使用X射線視訊發現，靈長目動物的脣動要比看上去複雜的多。它們的脣動和人類語言一樣需要控制嘴脣、舌頭、下顎以及支撐喉頭和舌頭的舌骨之間快速運動來發聲。
舉個例子，如果你去過動物園，你可能看到過大猩猩發出很響的'咂嘴聲和嗡嗡聲，就像在嘲弄你一般。科學家相信這些聲音是大猩猩溝通的一種形式。
這項研究並不能真正揭開人類語言進化的謎團，但是卻提供了一個非常有用的線索，那就是人類說話的方式可能是從聲帶和聲道（由嘴脣、舌頭和下顎組成）的快速運動產生的聲音組合發展而來的。
