Bio-linguistic transition and Baldwin effect in an evolutionary naming-game model

TL;DR

This paper models the co-evolution of language and biological learning ability, revealing an abrupt transition that may have driven human civilization's rapid expansion.

Contribution

It introduces a coupled evolutionary model demonstrating a sharp transition in communication skills linked to biological learning ability, highlighting the Baldwin effect.

Findings

Abrupt transition from unskilled to skilled communication with small parameter change

Evolutionary pressure increases learning ability through Baldwin effect

Model suggests linguistic and biological evolution triggered rapid human expansion

Abstract

We examine an evolutionary naming-game model where communicating agents are equipped with an evolutionarily selected learning ability. Such a coupling of biological and linguistic ingredients results in an abrupt transition: upon a small change of a model control parameter a poorly communicating group of linguistically unskilled agents transforms into almost perfectly communicating group with large learning abilities. When learning ability is kept fixed, the transition appears to be continuous. Genetic imprinting of the learning abilities proceeds via Baldwin effect: initially unskilled communicating agents learn a language and that creates a niche in which there is an evolutionary pressure for the increase of learning ability.Our model suggests that when linguistic (or cultural) processes became intensive enough, a transition took place where both linguistic performance and biological endowment of our species experienced an abrupt change that perhaps triggered the rapid expansion of human civilization.