Manger, respirer, crier, parler, chanter : l’épopée zoologique du langage

Abstract

L’émergence du langage doit son succès à des circonstances favorables de l’Évolution : la genèse neurogénomique du centre moteur frontal pneumo-laryngo-bucco-lingual de Broca, associée au gène FOXP2 ; l’utilisation, pour la production du langage, de la neuro-fonctionnalité des organes de la respiration et de l’oralité nutritionnelle, efficiente depuis des millions d’années ; et le connectome, la connexion des voies motrices pyramidales et cortico-nucléaires de l’encéphale. Celles-ci, en raccordant le centre de Broca aux effecteurs neuromusculaires de la ventilation et de l’oralité nutritionnelle, ont assuré au langage sa production sonore laryngée et son articulation, qui ont succédé aux cris du nourrisson, ce protolangage. Manger, puis respirer et crier ont constitué une filiation fondatrice du futur langage. The language emergence during the last one million years is the success of the use of oral nutritive and breathing functional organs, which existed several hundred million years ago. But two new neurogenomic innovations were also necessary: The genesis of pneumo-laryngo-glossal Broca praxic area, associated to FOXP2 gene, and the brain connectome. The last one has connected, thanks to its network, the Broca area to these two vital functions, feeding orality and respiration, by using their motor pyramidal and cortico-nuclear ways already constituted. These connections have given the language its efficiency of sonor laryngeal emission and oral articulation. The baby cry precedes from 18 months the language beginning, and is produced by the same motor neurologic connectomic organization that future language. To eat, to breath, and to cry, to speak, to sing constitute a neuro-functional and temporal filiation of Evolution since the first early vertebrates. To eat, then to breath, then to cry have constituted the language founding parentage.