Walkie Talkie Theory

The walkie-talkie theory is one of the explanations of the American psychologist Robert Provine that the upright gait of Homo sapiens made the development of a language possible in the first place. Provine formulates this thesis as part of his research on laughter .

In his opinion, the reason for this lies in the fact that breathing is only possible in this way that enables speaking at all. He came to this thesis by examining dogs and cats, in which he found that, due to their anatomy, they have to breathe in or out once with each step, whereas in humans, steps and breathing are independent of each other.

His thesis is supported by the statement that only humans, for example when laughing, manage to chop up the breath into a “ha ha ha”, while chimpanzees have to take a fresh breath for every “ha”. Nevertheless, a proto-language can also be observed in great apes .

According to the current state of science, however, far more physical changes were necessary to enable language development than just walking upright. These include, above all, a reshaping of the larynx and a change in the bony skull, which made the tongue more flexible.

literature

• Robert R. Provine: Laughter: A Scientific Investigation . Viking, New York 2000, ISBN 0-670-89375-7