A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Tooling and construction : from nut-cracking and stone-tool making to bird nests and language
The present paper provides an integrative theory of actions and motor programs for skill in tool use, construction, and language. We analyze preconditions for action as well as making their effects (postconditions) explicit, emphasizing the “how” of action details as well as the “what” of motor programs, aided by conceptual analysis of several brain modeling efforts. The theory is exemplified by analysis of the subtractive construction involved in percussive tooling by capuchin monkeys and Oldowan and Acheulean stone tool by protohumans making before turning to the additive construction of hafted tools. A complementary analysis focused on the construction of bird nests explores the notion of “image” and “stage” in construction. We offer a brief comparison with birdsong before arguing for a very different relation between communication and construction in humans. Pantomime lifts manipulation from practical to communicative action in protohumans, and we consider the role of pedagogy before offering hypotheses on the emergence of human language that suggest how language may have evolved from manual skills. We note that language provides an open-ended means for devising innovations in tool use and construction, but reiterate the importance of this framework for diverse future studies in ethology and comparative psychology. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed
Tooling and construction : from nut-cracking and stone-tool making to bird nests and language
The present paper provides an integrative theory of actions and motor programs for skill in tool use, construction, and language. We analyze preconditions for action as well as making their effects (postconditions) explicit, emphasizing the “how” of action details as well as the “what” of motor programs, aided by conceptual analysis of several brain modeling efforts. The theory is exemplified by analysis of the subtractive construction involved in percussive tooling by capuchin monkeys and Oldowan and Acheulean stone tool by protohumans making before turning to the additive construction of hafted tools. A complementary analysis focused on the construction of bird nests explores the notion of “image” and “stage” in construction. We offer a brief comparison with birdsong before arguing for a very different relation between communication and construction in humans. Pantomime lifts manipulation from practical to communicative action in protohumans, and we consider the role of pedagogy before offering hypotheses on the emergence of human language that suggest how language may have evolved from manual skills. We note that language provides an open-ended means for devising innovations in tool use and construction, but reiterate the importance of this framework for diverse future studies in ethology and comparative psychology. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed
Tooling and construction : from nut-cracking and stone-tool making to bird nests and language
Arbib, Michael A. (author) / Fragaszy, Dorothy M. (author) / Healy, Susan D. (author) / Stout, Dietrich (author) / University of St Andrews. School of Biology / University of St Andrews. Centre for Biological Diversity / University of St Andrews. Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences / University of St Andrews. Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution
2023-07-11
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
MCP , Pantomime , Tool use , Hafted tools , Preconditions , Oldowan tool making , Bird nest construction , Construction (additive/subtractive) , Language evolution , Technological pedagogy hypothesis , Postconditions , “How” versus “what” , T-DAS , Tooling , Acheulean tool making , Mirror system hypothesis , Capuchin nut cracking , Image and assemblage , Motor programs
DDC:
690
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