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    Carmelics

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    Made withinDC&Austin
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    Home/Original/inverse
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    Inverse View

    It is not the case that Monkey and primate call systems cannot be preadaptations for human language

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    Reasons For

    2 perspectives
    Reason for 1 of 2
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    • 1.Preadaptation requires only functional precursor homology, not identity of trait, as Gould and Vrba established in exaptation theory.
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    • 2.Vervet monkey alarm calls exhibit referential semanticity and combinatorial structure that constitute functional precursors to symbolic reference.
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    • 3.A trait unique to humans can still have evolutionary precursors in non-human systems without those systems themselves being linguistic.
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    Reason for 2 of 2
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    • 1.The supporting argument's P2 conflates the uniqueness of a derived trait with the impossibility of ancestral scaffolding, committing a continuity fallacy.
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    • 2.Tomasello's shared intentionality framework demonstrates that primate gestural communication shares deep intentional structure with human proto-linguistic acts.
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    • 3.Evolutionary continuity, not categorical similarity, is the relevant criterion for identifying preadaptations, as Darwin's descent with modification requires.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
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    • 1.Language is unique to humans
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    • 2.If a trait is unique to humans, then non-human communication systems cannot be preadaptations for that trait
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