From DNA to Language

Abstract

Abstract With the emergence of human language, large amounts of information ‘broke out’ of the DNA ‘harness’ for the first time in the history of life on Earth. This chapter discusses what is unique to human language (and absent in other animals’ communications) that allows for the transmission of unlimited amounts of information. How did biological evolution lead to the emergence of such abilities? Do humans have specific language genes? How did genes enabling the faculty of language evolve? Language not only enabled humans to communicate unlimited amounts of information by means other than inherited DNA, but it also raised cultural evolution to a qualitatively different level. Cultural evolution led to the emergence of writing and created means of recording and processing information different from those that fundamentally rely on DNA, RNA, and proteins making up the animal and human brain.