Languages are diverse: thousands are spoken worldwide, and they differ widely in the structures they use. Human DNA variation preserves the history of populations and individuals. Are these two dimensions of human diversity related? Does the diversity of languages correlate with the diversity of their speakers?
Welcome to the Polyvox Podcast, a trilingual podcast where researchers from the NCCR Evolving Language talk about their latest discoveries, their work and their career path! Between linguistics, neurosciences, animal cognition and more topics, you’ll surely find something to your taste. In the first episode, discover the research of Théophane Piette!
Syntax allows us to combine sounds into sequences with almost infinite meanings. How long ago did this capacity appear? Studies from researchers of the University of Neuchâtel, the University of Lyon 1 and the NCCR Evolving Language investigated this trait in sooty mangabey monkeys.
How do we know that a sentence was said by a woman? How do we know that what she told us was a question? Researchers from the University of Zurich and the NCCR Evolving Language described the complex processes happening in our brain, that allow us to understand the information contained in pitch.
Sebastian Krapp likes to dig deep into the foundations of science. Now a newly appointed lecturer in the Mathematical Foundations of Language at the University of Zurich, and a member of the NCCR Evolving Language, his work provides NCCR research projects with sturdy proof-of-concepts. His career illustrates the importance of interdisciplinarity in science, to have a full picture.
Wie entstanden die Sprachen? Und wie werden wir in Zukunft kommunizieren? Ein neues Master-Studienprogramm an der UZH geht diesen Fragen nach – in einer einzigartigen fachlichen Breite.
Scientific expertise of local specialists is critical in animal behaviour research, but often under-recognized and under-appreciated. Based on research conducted at the Budongo Conservation Field Station in Uganda, former NCCR Evolving Language member Adrian Soldati, guest researcher at the University of Zurich, explored the phenomenon in a new study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
If you haven’t found your calendar for 2026 yet, the NCCR is here to help! Made with amazing pictures from some of our collaborators, you can download and print at home the NCCR Evolving Language 2026 Calendar, available here.
In the new ERC-funded project, “Conceptual Diversity and the Evolution of Abstract Thought” (CONCEVO), Mansfield will lead a team of researchers to develop a method for reconstructing the evolution of abstract concepts, especially spirituality, ethics and social relations.
Starting this year, Sandra Oliveira has taken on a position as Assistant Professor in Genetic and Linguistic Evolution at the University of Zurich. Her expertise brings a new light to the research of the NCCR Evolving Language.