Some parallels between language and music from a cognitive and evolutionary perspective

      Parallels between language and music are considered as a useful basis for examining possible evolutionary pathways of these achievements. Such parallels become apparent if we compare clauses and syllables in language with phrases and notes in music: Clauses as well as musical phrases typically span about 2 sec and about 5 to 10 pulses, i.e., syllables or notes. The n of syllables per clause or intonation unit also can be used as a measure of tempo across languages and thus also as a means for a better understanding of typological co-variations in the rhythm of speech and music. Further correspondences were found between the size of the sound-relevant inventories, i.e., vowels and musical intervals: a minimum of roughly 3 and a maximum of roughly 12 elements as well as a frequency peak at 5 elements. A link between vowels and musical intervals is also indicated by our findings that in Alpine yodellers the vowels are highly correlated to melodic direction according to their F2 ordering. These parallels are discussed from an evolutionary perspective that either sees music as a precursor of language or both language and music as descendents of a common, half-musical precursor (Jespersen, 1895; Brown, 2000). A rather simple explanation of the parallels is reported: If singing in a broader sense of the word is the most original form of music, then the functionality of any mechanism involved in the programming and the online-control of intonation units will be reflected in language as well as in music

P‐T‐t evolution of the Cycladic blueschist unit in Western Anatolia / Turkey: Geodynamic implications for the Aegean region

International audienceEclogite and blueschist facies rocks occurring as a tectonic unit between the underlying Menderes Massif and the overlying Afyon Zone / Lycian Nappes and the Bornova Flysch Zone in western Anatolia represent the eastward continuation of the Cycladic Blueschist Unit in Turkey. This high-P unit is attributed to the closure of the Pindos Ocean and consists of (i) a Triassic to Upper Cretaceous coherent series derived from passive continental margin sediments and (ii) the tectonically overlying Upper Cretaceous Selçuk mélange with eclogite blocks embedded in a pelitic epidote-blueschist matrix. The coherent series has experienced epidote-blueschist facies metamorphism (490 ± 25°C / 11.5 ± 1.5 kbar; 38 km depth). 40 Ar/ 39 Ar white mica and 206 Pb/ 238 U monazite dating of quartz metaconglomerate from coherent series yielded middle Eocene ages of 44 ± 0.3 and 40.1 ± 3.1 Ma for epidote-blueschist facies metamorphism, respectively. The epidote-blueschist facies metamorphism of the matrix of the Selçuk mélange culminates at 520 ± 15°C / 13 ± 1.5 kbar, 43 km depth, and is dated 57.5 ± 0.3-54.5 ± 0.1 Ma (40 Ar/ 39 Ar phengite). Eclogite facies metamorphism of the blocks (570 ± 30°C / 18 ± 2 kbar, 60 km depth) is early Eocene and dated at 56.2 ± 1.5 Ma by 206 Pb/ 238 U zircon. Eclogites experienced a nearly isothermal retrogression (490 ± 40°C / ~ 6-7 kbar) during their incorporation into the Selçuk mélange. The retrograde overprints of the coherent series (410 ± 15°C / 7 ± 1.5 kbar from Dilek Peninsula and 485 ± 33°C / ~ 6-7 kbar from Selçuk-Tire area) and the Selçuk mélange (510 ± 15°C / 6 ± 1 kbar) are dated at 35.8 ± 0.5-34.3 ± 0.1 Ma by 40 Ar/ 39 Ar white mica and 31.6 ± 6.6 Ma by 206 Pb/ 238 U allanite dating methods, respectively. Regional geological constrains reveal that the contact between the Menderes Massif and the Cycladic Blueschist Unit originally formed a lithosphere-scale transform fault zone. 40 Ar/ 39 Ar white mica age from the contact indicates that the Cycladic Blueschist Unit and the Menderes Massif were tectonically juxtaposed under greenschist facies conditions during late Eocene, 35.1 ± 0.3 Ma