Evolutionary psychology and sexual selection: The case of language

Abstract

Within the broader project that strives to understand the evolutionary history of the processes that brought about the emergence of the cognitive capacities underlying the linguistic behavior of our species, a number of concepts and theoretical accomplishments from evolutionary biology have been subject to scrutiny. Among them, the so-called "Baldwin Effect" and the theory of kin-selection have figured prominently. In the present study we will develop a short review about the concept of sexual selection, its use and status in Evolutionary Psychology, as well as a critical assessment of a particular hypothesis that calls on sexual selection to explain some features of the human language faculty. Besides the specific points regarding this hypothesis, some general issues and directions for future research will be discussed.