Nouvelles pistes pour revisiter la production de la parole et son développement : données, modèles, représentation

International audienceNew tracks to revisit speech production and speech development: data, models and representation Since several years new tracks are explored to revisit speech production, emergence and development. Data bases and modeling concerning genetics (HOX and noHOX genes), biometrical data of head, hyoid bone and cervical vertebrae (C1-C7), muscle anatomy, developmental phonetics, vocal tract modeling (geometrical and biomechanical), and swallowing physiology have been interwoven in order to provide new insights on speech production. This research integrates, along all the steps, the realization of computerized dynamic graphics and video illustrations. They will provide help for speech researchers, physicians and speech therapists.Depuis quelques années de nouvelles pistes sont explorées pour revisiter la production de la parole, son émergence et son développement. Les domaines pour lesquels il a semblé productif de croiser bases de données et modélisation concernent la génétique du développement de la tête (gênes HOX et non-HOX), du rachis cervical (C1 C7) et de l'os hyoïde, de la biométrie osseuse de la tête et du cou, de l'anatomie fonctionnelle des muscles impliqués dans production de la parole, de la phonétique du développement, de la modélisation du conduit vocal (géométrique et biomécanique) et de la physiologie de la déglutition. Pour pouvoir appréhender ces nouvelles pistes dans leur spécificité, un effort important de visualisation a été fait grâce à l'utilisation de la synthèse numérique dynamique appliquée à la croissance de l'architecture osseuse, du cerveau et du conduit vocal

Considérations ontogénétiques et phylogénétiques concernant l'origine de la parole. Prédiction de la capacité des conduits vocaux de fossiles reconstitués à produire des sons de parole

http://primatologie.revues.org/797National audienceOntogenetic and phylogenetic considerations concerning the origin of speech The end of the XXth century and the beginning of this century saw a reorganization of the researches in the field of speech and language emergence (SLE). Naturalism is the kernel of this new approach. It consists in describing the relations between biological aspects (in every sense of the word) on the one hand and speech and language, on the other hand, by an accumulation of hypotheses and evidence derived from a huge range of data collected thanks to interdisciplinary collaborations. As is the case for researches on the origin of Man, a theoretical profusion of hypotheses has arisen which sometimes leads to very hypothetical developments, based on fragile results and on too little data, and proposed in related but not fully mastered or too much simplified disciplines. This is why regular critical overviews do not seem superfluous. First, we propose a classification (push and pull theory) that provides a new reading of the various theories which have been proposed for half a century. In the present state of knowledge it is not possible to infer when our ancestors acquired the FacultyofSpeechandLanguageandSpeech: control of speech articulators, coordination between larynx and vocal tract, phonology, syntax, semantic and recursivity. Among old unsolved questions: Why is our species alone in having speech and language? Many others questions are (for the moment?) ill posed problems: we do not have sufficiently data to answer. Perhaps these questions will remain unsolved. But we think that the following question can be solved: If we suppose that our ancestors (and distant cousins) controlled their larynx and vocal tract in the same way as present-day humans, did the geometry of their vocal tract allow them to produce the universal sound structures of the languages spoken today? We analyzed 31 skulls from now to 1.5 Ma (millions years) BP (Before Present) for fossil hominids available at the Muséedel'Homme in Paris or in the literature: (1) 10-30 ka BP: modern humans: Paleolithic; (2) 90-200 ka BP: anatomically modern humans; (3) 45-90 ka BP: Neanderthals; (4) 1.5 Ma BP: Homoergaster; These skulls are all well kept and possess a jaw in the majority of cases but the vertebral column has been reconstituted. We attempt to: (1) Localize hyoid bone and then glottis position; (2) Reconstitute a vocal tract model in a plausible way using an articulatory model; (3) Quantify the acoustic capabilities of this reconstituted vocal tract. For this purpose, we combine phylogenesis and ontogenesis. We are in a position to state that our ancestors and distant cousins were equipped with a vocal tract that could produce the same variety of vowel sounds as we can today: the vowels /i a u/. The vocal tract morphology has been favorable to the emergence and production of speech since several hundreds of thousands of years. But how to know to what extent they mastered the control skills needed to produce speech? New lines of research are proposed in which orofacial abilities necessary to the emergence of speech are linked to a precursor mechanism dedicated to feeding (masticating-swallowing movements).La fin du XXe et le tout début de ce siècle révèlent une véritable réarticulation des recherches dans le domaine de l'émergence de la parole et du langage. Le naturalisme, qui est au centre de cette approche, se propose de décrire les relations entre la biologie (au sens très large du terme) d'une part, la parole et le langage, d'autre part, par une accumulation d'hypothèses, de données et de preuves formulées et établies grâce à de multiples collaborations interdisciplinaires. Comme pour les travaux sur l'origine de l'Homme (la découverte d'un nouveau fossile entraînant souvent une remise en question des théories précédentes), on assiste à un foisonnement théorique qui entraîne parfois des développements très hypothétiques, s'appuyant sur des résultats fragiles et sur trop peu de données, proposés dans des disciplines connexes mais non maîtrisées ou trop simplifiées. C'est pourquoi les bilans réguliers, les mises en perspectives critiques ne nous semblent pas superflus. Dans un premier temps nous proposerons une classification qui permet une lecture des différentes théories proposées depuis un demi-siècle (théorie push-pull). Dans l'état actuel des connaissances, il n'est pas possible d'inférer quand nos ancêtres, voire nos lointains ont acquis la faculté de langage et de parole : le contrôle des articulateurs, la coordination entre le larynx et le conduit vocal, la phonologie, la syntaxe, la sémantique et la récursivité. Parmi les questions qui se posent, il en est une qui reste sans réponse : pourquoi notre espèce est actuellement la seule à posséder langue et parole ? De nombreuses questions font partie des problèmes mal posés, comme le sont les questions du type: Quelle(s) langue(s) parlaient nos prédécesseurs ? Possédaient-ils une langue unique ? En effet, on ne dispose pas (pour le moment) de suffisamment de données pour pouvoir y répondre. Peut-être même que ces questions ne trouveront pas de solution. Actuellement, il est quand même possible de répondre à la question suivante : si nous supposons que nos ancêtres (et cousins lointains) contrôlaient leur larynx et leur conduit vocal de la même manière que les Hommes actuels, est-ce que la géométrie de leur conduit leur permettaient de produire les structures sonores qui sont pratiquement présentes dans toutes les langues du monde ? Nous présenterons ensuite nos travaux qui participent à la nouvelle réarticulation avec une approche véritablement axée sur la pluridisciplinarité. Ils s'inscrivent dans le domaine des relations entre la morphologie des organes de la production de la parole et son contrôle. Nous présentons de nouveaux résultats concernant la croissance du conduit vocal de la naissance à l'âge adulte puis des reconstructions du conduit vocal pour des fossiles qui couvrent la période de 10.000 ans à un million et demi d'années BP (Before Present). À partir du crâne, de la mandibule et des vertèbres cervicales nous essaierons de manière plausible (1) de localiser l'os hyoïde, support de la langue, et la position de la glotte, (2) de reconstituer un conduit vocal, à l'aide d'un modèle articulatoire, (3) d'induire les possibilités acoustiques de tous ces conduits. En combinant phylogenèse et ontogenèse il est possible de représenter l'anatomie du tractus en synthétisant deux remodelages qui renvoient à l'ontogenèse et à la phylogenèse. Nous montrerons que tous ces conduits ont les mêmes potentialités acoustiques, ils peuvent produire les voyelles /i a u/ qui sont pratiquement présentes dans toutes les langues du monde : un triangle à l'intérieur duquel se situent toutes les autres voyelles. Quand aux consonnes les plus fréquentes /p t k/, /b d g/ elles sont aussi à la portée de tous ces conduits vocaux à partir de gestes de fermeture dans des régions précises (lèvres, zone alvéodentale, zone vélaire). De nouvelles pistes de recherche sont proposées qui tendraient à montrer qu'il y a vraisemblablement plusieurs centaines de milliers, voire plusieurs millions d'années que le conduit vocal présente une morphologie favorable à l'émergence et à la production de la parole. Un cadre est posé dans lequel les capacités orofaciales nécessaire à la parole pourraient être reliées au mécanisme précurseur d'ingestion (mastication-déglutition)

La croissance de l'instrument vocal: Contrôle, modélisation, potentialités acoustiques et conséquences perceptives

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La croissance de l'instrument vocal : contrôle, modélisation, potentialités acoustiques et conséquences perceptives

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Skull and Vocal Tract Growth from Fetus to 2 Years

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Reconstructed fossil vocal tracts and the production of speech. Phylogenetic and ontogenetic considerations

International audienceThe end of the twentieth century and the beginning of this one saw a reorganization of research in the field of speech and language emergence (SLE). Naturalism is the core of this new approach. It consists in describing the relations between biological aspects (in every sense of the word) on the one hand and speech and language, on the other hand, by an accumulation of hypotheses and evidence derived from a wide range of data collected by means of interdisciplinary collaborations. As with studies on the origin of man, a profusion of hypotheses has arisen, which sometimes lead to very dubious developments, based on flimsy results and on too little data, and connected to related but not fully mastered or overly simplified disciplines. This is why regular critical overviews do not seem superfluous. First, we propose a classification (push and pull theory) that provides a new reading of the various theories which have been proposed for half a century. In the present state of knowledge, it is not possible to infer when our ancestors acquired the faculty of speech and language: control of speech articulators, coordination between larynx and vocal tract, phonology, syntax, semantics, and recursion. Some longstanding questions remain unanswered: Why is our species alone in having speech and language? Many other questions are (for now) badly formulated problems: we do not have sufficient data to answer them. Perhaps these questions will remain unanswered. But we think that the following question can be answered: If we suppose that our ancestors (and distant cousins) controlled their larynx and vocal tract in the same way as present-day humans, did the geometry of their vocal tract allow them to produce the universal sound structures of the languages spoken today? We analyzed 32 skulls from the present to 1.6 Ma (million years) BP (before present) of fossil hominids available at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris or in the literature: (1) 10-30 ka (thousand years) BP: modern humans: Paleolithic; (2) 90-200 ka BP: anatomically modern humans; (3) 45-90 ka BP: Neanderthals; (4) 1.6 Ma BP: Homo ergaster. These skulls are all well preserved and most possess a mandible but the vertebral column has been reconstructed from some fossil vertebrae. We attempt to: (1) identify the position of the hyoid bone and glottis; (2) reconstruct a vocal tract in a plausible way using an articulatory model; (3) quantify the acoustic capabilities of this reconstructed vocal tract. For this purpose, we combine phylogeny and ontogeny. We can now state that our ancestors and distant cousins were equipped with a vocal tract that could produce the same variety of vowel sounds as we can today: mainly the vowels /i a u/. Vocal tract morphology has allowed for the emergence and production of speech for several hundred thousand years. But how can we know to what extent earlier hominids mastered the control skills needed to produce speech? New lines of research are proposed in which orofacial abilities necessary to the emergence of speech are linked to a precursor mechanism dedicated to feeding (masticating-swallowing gestures)

Skull and Vocal Tract Growth from Fetus to 2 Years

International audienc

Reconstructed fossil vocal tracts and the production of speech. Phylogenetic and ontogenetic considerations

International audienceThe end of the twentieth century and the beginning of this one saw a reorganization of research in the field of speech and language emergence (SLE). Naturalism is the core of this new approach. It consists in describing the relations between biological aspects (in every sense of the word) on the one hand and speech and language, on the other hand, by an accumulation of hypotheses and evidence derived from a wide range of data collected by means of interdisciplinary collaborations. As with studies on the origin of man, a profusion of hypotheses has arisen, which sometimes lead to very dubious developments, based on flimsy results and on too little data, and connected to related but not fully mastered or overly simplified disciplines. This is why regular critical overviews do not seem superfluous. First, we propose a classification (push and pull theory) that provides a new reading of the various theories which have been proposed for half a century. In the present state of knowledge, it is not possible to infer when our ancestors acquired the faculty of speech and language: control of speech articulators, coordination between larynx and vocal tract, phonology, syntax, semantics, and recursion. Some longstanding questions remain unanswered: Why is our species alone in having speech and language? Many other questions are (for now) badly formulated problems: we do not have sufficient data to answer them. Perhaps these questions will remain unanswered. But we think that the following question can be answered: If we suppose that our ancestors (and distant cousins) controlled their larynx and vocal tract in the same way as present-day humans, did the geometry of their vocal tract allow them to produce the universal sound structures of the languages spoken today? We analyzed 32 skulls from the present to 1.6 Ma (million years) BP (before present) of fossil hominids available at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris or in the literature: (1) 10-30 ka (thousand years) BP: modern humans: Paleolithic; (2) 90-200 ka BP: anatomically modern humans; (3) 45-90 ka BP: Neanderthals; (4) 1.6 Ma BP: Homo ergaster. These skulls are all well preserved and most possess a mandible but the vertebral column has been reconstructed from some fossil vertebrae. We attempt to: (1) identify the position of the hyoid bone and glottis; (2) reconstruct a vocal tract in a plausible way using an articulatory model; (3) quantify the acoustic capabilities of this reconstructed vocal tract. For this purpose, we combine phylogeny and ontogeny. We can now state that our ancestors and distant cousins were equipped with a vocal tract that could produce the same variety of vowel sounds as we can today: mainly the vowels /i a u/. Vocal tract morphology has allowed for the emergence and production of speech for several hundred thousand years. But how can we know to what extent earlier hominids mastered the control skills needed to produce speech? New lines of research are proposed in which orofacial abilities necessary to the emergence of speech are linked to a precursor mechanism dedicated to feeding (masticating-swallowing gestures)

Reconstructed fossil vocal tracts and the production of speech. Phylogenetic and ontogenetic considerations

International audienceThe end of the twentieth century and the beginning of this one saw a reorganization of research in the field of speech and language emergence (SLE). Naturalism is the core of this new approach. It consists in describing the relations between biological aspects (in every sense of the word) on the one hand and speech and language, on the other hand, by an accumulation of hypotheses and evidence derived from a wide range of data collected by means of interdisciplinary collaborations. As with studies on the origin of man, a profusion of hypotheses has arisen, which sometimes lead to very dubious developments, based on flimsy results and on too little data, and connected to related but not fully mastered or overly simplified disciplines. This is why regular critical overviews do not seem superfluous. First, we propose a classification (push and pull theory) that provides a new reading of the various theories which have been proposed for half a century. In the present state of knowledge, it is not possible to infer when our ancestors acquired the faculty of speech and language: control of speech articulators, coordination between larynx and vocal tract, phonology, syntax, semantics, and recursion. Some longstanding questions remain unanswered: Why is our species alone in having speech and language? Many other questions are (for now) badly formulated problems: we do not have sufficient data to answer them. Perhaps these questions will remain unanswered. But we think that the following question can be answered: If we suppose that our ancestors (and distant cousins) controlled their larynx and vocal tract in the same way as present-day humans, did the geometry of their vocal tract allow them to produce the universal sound structures of the languages spoken today? We analyzed 32 skulls from the present to 1.6 Ma (million years) BP (before present) of fossil hominids available at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris or in the literature: (1) 10-30 ka (thousand years) BP: modern humans: Paleolithic; (2) 90-200 ka BP: anatomically modern humans; (3) 45-90 ka BP: Neanderthals; (4) 1.6 Ma BP: Homo ergaster. These skulls are all well preserved and most possess a mandible but the vertebral column has been reconstructed from some fossil vertebrae. We attempt to: (1) identify the position of the hyoid bone and glottis; (2) reconstruct a vocal tract in a plausible way using an articulatory model; (3) quantify the acoustic capabilities of this reconstructed vocal tract. For this purpose, we combine phylogeny and ontogeny. We can now state that our ancestors and distant cousins were equipped with a vocal tract that could produce the same variety of vowel sounds as we can today: mainly the vowels /i a u/. Vocal tract morphology has allowed for the emergence and production of speech for several hundred thousand years. But how can we know to what extent earlier hominids mastered the control skills needed to produce speech? New lines of research are proposed in which orofacial abilities necessary to the emergence of speech are linked to a precursor mechanism dedicated to feeding (masticating-swallowing gestures)