Survival of the Wittiest: Did Humor Drive Human Language?
A bold new study published in PNAS Nexus argues that human language evolution was driven not merely by the need to survive, but by something more playful: wit. Linguist Ljiljana Progovac of Wayne State University proposes that quick-wittedness — the ability to combine words in clever, funny ways — was actively selected for through sexual selection. Our ancestors may have joked their way into complex language.
The Wit-as-Fitness Hypothesis
Progovac’s study challenges two dominant narratives in human evolution: “survival of the fittest” (physical strength) and “survival of the friendliest” (prosociality). While both played a role, neither captures what makes humans unique. As she writes, “selection for quick-wittedness… needs to be added to the complex picture of human evolution.”
This logic draws from Charles Darwin, who believed language evolved through sexual selection. Just as a peacock’s tail signals genetic fitness, Progovac argues linguistic cleverness served as an honest signal of cognitive ability. Darwin observed that “the power to charm the female has been in some few instances more important than the power to conquer the other males.” Applied to the evolution of language, the wittiest speakers enjoyed greater reproductive success, driving complex grammar across generations.
Cross-cultural evidence supports this. In Amazonia, the Pa’ikwené consider “good speakers” those with rhetorical competence. Among the Maori, “oratory is the prime qualification for entry into the power game.” These examples suggest linguistic eloquence has long been tied to social status and reproductive access.
www.Ancient-Origins.net – Reconstructing the story of humanity’s past
Source: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/language-evolution-and-humor-00102660
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