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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="center">=====================================================<br>
<b>L O W L A N D S - L - 16 August 2010 - Volume 02<br>
</b><a href="mailto:lowlands.list@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="" lang="FR">lowlands.list@gmail.com</span></a> - <a href="http://lowlands-l.net/" target="_blank"><span style="" lang="FR">http://lowlands-l.net/</span></a><br>
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<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">From: <span class="gd"><span style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">Sandy Fleming</span></span><span class="gi"> </span><span class="go"><<a href="mailto:sandy@fleimin.demon.co.uk">sandy@fleimin.demon.co.uk</a>></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Subject: <span class="gi">LL-L "Evolution" 2010.08.16 (01) [EN]</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">> From: <a href="mailto:heatherrendall@tiscali.co.uk">heatherrendall@tiscali.co.uk</a>
<<a href="mailto:heatherrendall@tiscali.co.uk">heatherrendall@tiscali.co.uk</a>><br>
><br>
> Subject: LL-L "Evolution" 2010.08.15 (09) [EN]</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">> I was struck when the
Fox P2 gene was discovered and its importance<br>
> and relevance to language described, by the fact that the original use<br>
> of the gene had been the fine movement control of the fingers; it then<br>
> also developed / adapted to control the fine movements of muscles<br>
> round the mouth, let alone the sequencing of words within a language.<br>
<br>
> What struck me was the possible connnection between the sequencing of<br>
> using tools for which fine finger control would be required and the<br>
> development of language into sequential thought. Animals have<br>
> communication and some are even considered to have the ability to<br>
> re-sequence common sounds to vary effect or meaning but they do it<br>
> within a very limited range of fixed sounds.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Something completely
different strikes me: the development of fine<br>
finger control could be to make signs used for communication more<br>
sophisticated, and since sign languages use a fair bit of lip-patterning<br>
and facial expression to support the manual signs, the use of sign<br>
language might be a factor in fine control spreading to the mouth and<br>
other parts of the face.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><br>
> The other 'point in time' that has fascinated ever since I read<br>
> Golding's "The Inheritors" is when did humans start looking
beyond<br>
> reality to an invisible dimension. When did abstract thought begin?<br>
> Why did the family and friends of a neanderthal boy in Turkey line<br>
> his grave with blue flowers? How long had they been thinking or<br>
> believing in something beyond the merely practical?</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">As soon as metaphor arose, I
should imagine! And that pretty much comes<br>
along with language.<br>
<span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><br>
Sandy Fleming<br>
<a href="http://scotstext.org/" target="_blank">http://scotstext.org/</a></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">----------</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">From: <span class="gd"><span style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">Sandy Fleming</span></span><span class="gi"> </span><span class="go"><<a href="mailto:sandy@fleimin.demon.co.uk">sandy@fleimin.demon.co.uk</a>></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Subject: <span class="gi">LL-L "Evolution" 2010.08.16 (01) [EN]</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">> From: Anja Meyfarth
<<a href="mailto:aurinel@spray.se">aurinel@spray.se</a>><br>
><br>
> Subject: LL-L "Evolution" 2010.08.15 (09) [EN]<br>
></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">> Well, I think,
geography and fauna are important, too. So wheels were<br>
> not invented in South America even if the
Inka civilization was<br>
> fighting wars. But wheels are not useful in that area although lamas<br>
> might be able to pull a chariot. In Northern America
were no animals<br>
> that could do that job. Horses were brought to the plains by the<br>
> whites. What is very interesting is that the Egyptians didn't invent<br>
> wheels although they were mighty warriors. They got this inventions<br>
> from the Hethits. (That's at least what I learned.)</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">I believe that in the
ultimate battle between Egypt
and the Hittites the<br>
Egyptians used chariots but the Hittites used _better_ chariots: the<br>
axle was placed so that it could support loads better and could carry<br>
more "spears", meaning soldiers. This isn't to say that the Hittites<br>
didn't give the Egyptians the wheel earlier, of course, I just don't<br>
know, so I'll take your word for it!<br>
<br>
I think with Egypt
we're not so much talking about progress as<br>
stability. This is the civilisation that existed for thousands of years<br>
and barely changed its rather laborous writing system throughout that<br>
time (oversimplifying a bit!). In general I'd say a long-lasting empire<br>
means a tradition of kings or civil servants that ensure standards are<br>
maintained, and this can block progress.<br>
<br>
The Chinese dynasties seem analogous: they invented stuff, but the<br>
government was interested only as far as they could be used to maintain<br>
the status quo rather than change it.<br>
<br>
So another reason for lack of innovation may be stable empires with<br>
strong government.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><br>
> As for language use: No one knows for sure if the great apes does not<br>
> use a (primitive? proto?) language. Chimpanzees go hunting together<br>
> which is not easy in a tight forest so they have to communicate. Maybe<br>
> what makes mankind to mankind is not language or the use of tools but<br>
> art and the feeling for transcendence. But even that might be hard to<br>
> tell.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal">Apes are rather good at
picking up signs from Deaf people, and seem to<br>
understand them sometimes. Deaf friends who go to zoos (I don't!) inform<br>
me that every ape's favourite sign is "wanker". Or is that just the<br>
males? Or is it just what human males like to say to them? We need more<br>
science! But I don't know of any reason to believe that grammar is used.</p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><br>
<span id="q_12a7d117336dbb59_5">Sandy Fleming<br>
<a href="http://scotstext.org/" target="_blank">http://scotstext.org/</a></span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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