Self-organization in the Evolution of SpeechSpeech is the principal supporting medium of language. In this book Pierre-Yves Oudeyer considers how spoken language first emerged. He presents an original and integrated view of the interactions between self-organization and natural selection, reformulates questions about the origins ofspeech, and puts forward what at first sight appears to be a startling proposal - that speech can be spontaneously generated by the coupling of evolutionarily simple neural structures connecting perception and production. He explores this hypothesis by constructing a computational system to modelthe effects of linking auditory and vocal motor neural nets. He shows that a population of agents which used holistic and unarticulated vocalizations at the outset are inexorably led to a state in which their vocalizations have become discrete, combinatorial, and categorized in the same way by allgroup members. Furthermore, the simple syntactic rules that have emerged to regulate the combinations of sounds exhibit the fundamental properties of modern human speech systems.This original and fascinating account will interest all those interested in the evolution of speech. |
Contents
1 The SelfOrganization Revolution in Science | 1 |
2 The Human Speech Code | 14 |
3 SelfOrganization and Evolution | 32 |
4 Existing Theories | 53 |
5 Artificial Systems as Research Tools | 68 |
6 The Artificial System | 75 |
7 Learning Perceptuomotor Correspondences | 106 |
8 Strong Combinatoriality and Phonotactics | 123 |
9 New Scenarios | 139 |
10 Constructing for Understanding | 150 |
| 155 | |
| 163 | |
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Common terms and phrases
acoustic Adapted architecture articulatory configurations articulatory phonology articulatory targets artificial system assumptions atoms B´enard basins of attraction behaviour Boer Boer’s brain capacity categorization cells Chapter clusters cochlea combinatoriality complex composed constraints construction continuous trajectory corresponding crucial cultural defined discrete distribution of preferred dynamic systems entropy evolution example exaptations explain ferromagnetic Figure formant formation Gaussian genome gestural score hexagonal human languages imitation initial distribution input interactions inventories Lindbl¨om linguistic communication manner of articulation mechanism natural selection neural map neural units neurotrophins non-linearities organ relation space origin of language origin of speech Oudeyer parameters particular patterns perceived perceptual map phonemes phonological phonotactic population of agents population vector possible preferred vectors properties random relations between organs repertoire representation self-organization sequence shapes shared shows side effect simulations sounds spatial map spatial neurons speech code stimulus structures syllables temperature temporal neurons theory tion vocal tract vowel systems