Abstract
Pre-adaptationist approach to the origin of language enables it possible to study the origin of language from the perspective of comparative cognitive science. What are necessary for this field to be productive and scientifically sound? Discussion was led by comments from an evolutionary psychologist and a linguist. An idea of “masking and unmasking” as proposed by Deacon, was introduced to account for several phenomena explained in this symposium. For example, masking of species-recognition in domesticated bird might have resulted in unmasking of song syntax. Masking of several sensory abilities including rote memories necessary for wild life might have resulted in unmasking of symbolic conceptual representation. Masking of wild knowledge might have resulted in unmasking of social knowledge, and masking of two-term relationship might have resulted in unmasking of three-term social relationship.
