The Biological Nature of Human Language

Biolinguistics aims to shed light on the specifically biological nature of human language focusing on five foundational questions: (1) What are the properties of the language phenotype? (2) How does language ability grow and mature in individuals? (3) How is language put to use? (4) How is language implemented in the brain? (5) What evolutionary processes led to the emergence of language? Here, we use these foundational questions to frame a discussion of important issues in the study of language. We explore whether our linguistic capacity is the result of direct selective pressure, or is due to developmental or bio-physical constraints. We assess whether the neural/computational components entering into language are unique to human language or shared with other cognitive systems. We discuss advances in theoretical linguistics, psycholinguistics, comparative animal behavior and psychology, genetics/genomics, disciplines that can now place these longstanding questions in a new light, while raising challenges for future research