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Putting the cart before the horse? The origin of information donation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2023

Judith M. Burkart Open the ORCID record for Judith M. Burkart [Opens in a new window] ,
Sandro Sehner ,
Rahel K. Brügger ,
Jessie E. C. Adriaense  and
Carel P. van Schaik
Judith M. Burkart
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland judith.burkart@aim.uzh.ch sandro.sehner@uzh.ch rahelkatharina.bruegger@uzh.ch jessie.adriaense@uzh.ch vschaik@aim.uzh.ch https://www.aim.uzh.ch/de/ecg.html Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Sandro Sehner
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland judith.burkart@aim.uzh.ch sandro.sehner@uzh.ch rahelkatharina.bruegger@uzh.ch jessie.adriaense@uzh.ch vschaik@aim.uzh.ch https://www.aim.uzh.ch/de/ecg.html
Rahel K. Brügger
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland judith.burkart@aim.uzh.ch sandro.sehner@uzh.ch rahelkatharina.bruegger@uzh.ch jessie.adriaense@uzh.ch vschaik@aim.uzh.ch https://www.aim.uzh.ch/de/ecg.html
Jessie E. C. Adriaense
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland judith.burkart@aim.uzh.ch sandro.sehner@uzh.ch rahelkatharina.bruegger@uzh.ch jessie.adriaense@uzh.ch vschaik@aim.uzh.ch https://www.aim.uzh.ch/de/ecg.html
Carel P. van Schaik
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland judith.burkart@aim.uzh.ch sandro.sehner@uzh.ch rahelkatharina.bruegger@uzh.ch jessie.adriaense@uzh.ch vschaik@aim.uzh.ch https://www.aim.uzh.ch/de/ecg.html Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Abstract

Heintz & Scott-Phillips propose that the partner choice ecology of our ancestors required Gricean cognitive pragmatics for reputation management, which caused a tendency toward showing and expecting prosociality that subsequently scaffolded language evolution. Here, we suggest a cognitively leaner explanation that is more consistent with comparative data and posits that prosociality and eventually language evolved along with cooperative breeding.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 46 , 2023 , e5
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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