Evolution of voice box, language and consciousness.

[ragav.payne]

Hello,

I'm a biology hobbyist interested in evolution theories and hadn't had extensive or intensive formal education. So, pardon me if my questions seem naive.

I recently read in an article titled "The evolution of consciousness" (source - http://www.peterussell.com/SCG/EoC.php).

The article puts that human beings are able to expand their perception of everything through the extra-sensual information communicated to each other through language. It also says that the only reason why we, among all the other primates, can speak is because of the voice box.

So, this means that the evolution of a well-developed voice box was prime in resulting in the status that we have now.

MY QUESTIONS:-

what led to the evolution of a well-developed voice box in us?

Why did this happen only to us?



Regards.

[Darby]

Any answer would be speculation...but what the hey...

Most sources I've seen are less focused on the voice box and more on the tongue, lips, and palette, where most complex sounds get made.

Personally, I believe that walking upright freed our hands, freeing our hands allowed us to carry various tools (and children, allowing them to grow their brains through infancy), which led to development of technology, which put a premium on conveying more complex ideas to one another. But maybe not.

[MichaelXY]

What about the Hyoid bone?

[Darby]

There are some who think that the shift of the hyoid is critically important, but since it's a non-articulated bone, it doesn't fossilize in place. That makes it impossible to really trace over time.