Emotion communication through voice modulation: Insights on biological and evolutionary underpinnings of language

Abstract

The aim of this review is to enhance our understanding of the role of emotional communication in the emergence of language. I provide data on the following research topics: 1) Cross-species comparative approach to the anatomical principles governing emotional vocal production. 2) Analysis of acoustic parameters conveying emotional arousal and valence through voice modulation across human cultures and a wide variety of vocalizing nonhuman animals. On this regard, I will describe the evolutionary advantage of being able to identify emotional content in both heterospecific and conspecific vocalizations. 3) The relative salience of emotional voice modulation and verbal content in emotional meaning processing, as an indicator of the biological role of voice modulation in the emergence of language. Finally, I propose that co-evolutionary dynamics between genetic transmission of the cognitive mechanisms underpinning language and socio-cultural transmission of vocal behaviors are responsible for the emergence of the abilities involved in language.