Developmental psychologist Kristen Gillespie-Lynch co-authored “A cross-species study of gesture and its role in symbolic development: implications for the gestural theory of language evolution” which published on the Frontiers in Comparative Psychology Website.
The study used a naturalistic video database to examine “whether gestures scaffold the symbolic development of a language-enculturated chimpanzee, a language-enculturated bonobo, and a human child during the second year of life.” Read more from frontiersin.org>
Tia Ghose, a reporter with LiveScience, referenced the study for her Discovery News article “Apes and Human Babies Use Similar Gestures” stating that chimpanzee, bonobo and human babies rely mainly on gestures at about a year old, and gradually develop symbolic language (words, for human babies; and signs, for apes) as they get older. Read the rich media enhanced story at discovery.com>
