Is there a reason behind the structure of the words we use? Linguist Chundra Cathcart from the University of Zurich and the NCCR Evolving Language investigated a new hypothesis that could explain the relative fewness of words with identical consonants.
This is an agents’ world. Through a transspecies study, researchers from the University of Neuchâtel and NCCR Evolving Language have discovered that great apes could have a similar perception of events as humans. This hints at an ancestral origin of syntax features that are universal in human languages, according to Sarah Brocard and her team.
Extensive social networks between different hunter-gatherer groups in the Congo Basin existed long before agriculture arrived in the region. This continent-wide exchange preserved a cultural diversity that evolved thousands of years ago, as researchers from the University of Zurich show based on musical instruments, specialized vocabulary and genetic information.
Can genetic research with indigenous populations be more ethically conducted? This is what Chiara Barbieri and her team believed when starting their work with the Mapuche community, one of the 10 recognized indigenous groups of Chile. In a recent paper, the group reported on this experience to share insights and promote transparent and inclusive science.
Who’s calling? Marmosets are highly social and vocal monkeys, but analyzing these complex communication signals can be tricky. Fortunately, a team of NCCR researchers headed by Prof. Judith M. Burkart has found a solution to this.
How do today’s indigenous communities of South America trace back to the history of human migration and contact in the continent? An international team including NCCR members from the UZH has worked to reconstruct the legacy of Chile’s largest indigenous community, the Mapuche, thanks to genetics and linguistics.
Children demonstrate early in life social skills and a strong desire to interact with their peers. They engage in social interactions more often than our closest relatives, the great apes, says a study led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Neuchâtel.
Some languages require less neural activity than others. But these are not necessarily the ones we would imagine. In a study published today in the journal PLOS Biology, researchers at the University of Zurich have shown that languages that are often considered “easy” actually require an enormous amount of work from our brains.
Bonobos, when abruptly interrupted in a social activity with another bonobo, resume it, as soon as the interruption is over, with the same partner.
Dwarf mongooses seem to produce a complex call that may be a combination of distinct call units.