In article <1477 at percep.demon.co.uk>, rmallott at percep.demon.co.uk (rmallott) writes:
>References: <cjm6689.13.2F42579D at silver.sdsmt.edu>
><3htmjl$8tr at vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>
>>kspencer at s.psych.uiuc.edu (Kevin Spencer) writes:
>>>cjm6689 at silver.sdsmt.edu (CYNTHIA J. MONHEIM) writes:
>>>>Does anyone have an answer as to WHY language ability initially develops in
>>>the left hemispere, without exception? The only answer I have been able to
>>>extract from my professors is "because it's designed that way". So WHY is it
>>>designed that way???? What special properties does the left side possess that
>>>are not present in the right?
>>> The basic answer is that no one knows why. There are a number of theories,
>> but no one really knows the basis of language lateralization. [cut]
>>The answer is probably to be found in theories about the evolution of
>language and research into the cortical localization of aspects of
>language. If one accepts the theory of the cortical motor control origin
>of language (see Lieberman, Calvin, Kien, Studdert Kennedy and Allott on
>varying aspects of this), the evidence for the essential unity of gesture
>and language (McNeill and Kendon), the results of cortical stimulation
>research (Ojemann and Mateer) showing the linkage between language and
>motor control in the LH (also Doreen Kimura), plus the prevalence of
>right-hand dominance controlled by the left hemisphere (MacNeilage and others),
>the answer becomes rather straightforward. Language is left-lateralized
>because it evolved from left-localized dominant motor control and functions
>as essentially a motor (articulatory) activity. These issues were discussed
>at the 1994 Berkeley meeting of the Language Origins Society.
>>Robin Allott email: rmallott at percep.demon.co.uk
An interesting theory was put forth by a linguist named MacNeilage --
concerning tree-dwellers & handedness. In this uniquely challenging
environment manual specialization may have occurred -- each hand skilled
for certain things -- because of the dangers involved in having to decide
each time what hand to use. The left hand actually was the more specialized
at first, it was used anytime quick movement (called ballastic movement) was
required -- like catching bugs, for example. The right hand was utilized for
hanging onto the tree, and so, eventually, became stronger, specialized for
activities requiring strength & fine-motor control. Observations of tree-
dwelling primates today seems to lend some support to this theory.
