Print

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New book announcement:

Cangelosi A. & Parisi D.  (Eds.) (2001).  Simulating the Evolution of
Language. London: Springer.

http://www.tech.plym.ac.uk/soc/staff/angelo/book2001-TOC.html


SUMMARY

This volume provides a comprehensive survey of the computational models 
and
methodologies used for studying the origin and evolution of language and
communication.  With contributions from the most influential figures in 
the
field, Simulating the Evolution of Language presents and summarises 
current
computational approaches to language evolution and highlights new lines 
of
development. Among the main discussion points are:

·     Analysis of emerging linguistic behaviours and structures
·     Demonstration of the strict interaction and interdependence between
language and other non-linguistic abilities
·     Direct comparisons between simulation studies and empirical research

Essential reading for researchers and students in the areas of 
evolutionary
and adaptive systems, language evolution, modelling and linguistics, it
will also be of particular interest to computer scientists working on
multi-agent systems, robotics and internet agents.


TABLE OF CONTENT


PART I     INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1: Computer Simulation: A New Scientific Approach to the Study of
Language Evolution
Angelo Cangelosi & Domenico Parisi

Chapter 2: An Introduction to Methods for Simulating the Evolution of 
Language
Huck Turner

PART II     EVOLUTION OF SIGNALING SYSTEMS

Chapter 3: Adaptive Factors in the Evolution of Signaling Systems
Jason Noble, Ezequiel Di Paolo, Seth Bullock

Chapter 4: Evolving Sound Systems
Bart De Boer

Chapter 5: The Evolution of Dialect Diversity
Daniel Livingstone

PART III     EVOLUTION OF SYNTAX

Chapter 6: The Emergence of Linguistic Structure: An Overview of the
Iterated Learning Model
Simon Kirby & Jim Hurford

Chapter 7: Population Dynamics of Grammar Acquisition
Natalia L. Komarova & Martin A. Nowak

Chapter 8: The role of sequential learning in language evolution:
Computational and experimental studies
Morten Christiansen, Michelle R. Ellefson, Christopher M. Conway & Rick
A.C. Dale

PART IV     GROUNDING OF LANGUAGE

Chapter 9: Symbol Grounding and the Symbolic Theft Hypothesis
Angelo Cangelosi, Alberto Greco & Stevan Harnad

Chapter 10: Grounding Symbols through Evolutionary Language Games
Luc Steels

PART V     BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL FACTORS

Chapter 11: Grounding the Mirror System Hypothesis for the Evolution of 
the
Language-ready Brain
Michael Arbib

Chapter 12: A Unified Simulation Scenario for Language Development,
Evolution, and Historical Change
Domenico Parisi & Angelo Cangelosi

PART VI     BEHAVIORAL AND NEURAL FACTORS

Chapter 13: Auto-Organisation and Emergence of Shared Language Structure
Edwin Hutchins  & Brian Hazlehurst

Chapter 14: The constructive approach to the dynamical view of language
Takashi Hashimoto (

PART VII     CONCLUSION

Chapter 15: Some Facts about Primate (including Human) Communication and
Social Learning
Michael Tomasello


_________________________________________________________________________
Prof Nigel Gilbert, CEng, AcSS, FREng, Dept. of Sociology, University of 
Surrey,
  Guildford GU2 7XH, UK.  Tel: +44 (0)1483 689173 Fax: +44 (0)1483 689551