The relationship between dexterity, hand anatomy, cognition and language evolution

• Grant number: 24/15994-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Arturo Navas Iannini
• Grantee: Guilherme Ferreira Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 18/18900-1 - Innovations in human and non-human animal communities, AP.SPEC

Abstract

FAPESP finances the SPEC Project (São Paulo Excellence Chair) "Innovation in Human and Nonhuman Communities", which includes the scholarship in scientific initiation placed here. The SPEC Project has the objective of rebuilding the evolutionary history of three cognitive abilities supposedly specific to humans, such as: linguistic competence, symbolical activities and production and use of sophisticated tools. The relation between big brains, manipulative complexity (that means, dexterity) and specific anatomical characteristics was presented as the three main aspects that may have led to the use and fabrication of toolmaking in many animal species, including hominins. The importance of language in tool making has been seen as variable, typically dependent on manipulative complexity, on the influence of increasing the hominin's capacity of producing what has been called as symbolic behavior, specially the production of nonfigurative engravings. It has been shown that profound alterations in brain's size and structure is parallel to the emergence of new lithic tools. There is also the importance of an advanced cognition as a potential pre-adaptation to the flexible use of tools or to an adaptation that increases the technological complexity. This project aims to understand the complex relations between hand anatomy, the capacity for complex manipulation (for example, the fabrication of stone tools and engravings) and human language. Data about brain activity observed in research that deals with hand (in terms of sensorimotor) manipulation or language will also be discussed.