Reconstructing the Vocal Capabilities of Homo Heidelbergensis, a Close Human Ancestor
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University of Central Florida STARS Honors Undergraduate Theses UCF Theses and Dissertations 2018 Reconstructing the Vocal Capabilities of Homo Heidelbergensis, a Close Human Ancestor Austin Blake Stanley University of Central Florida Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, and the Biological and Physical Anthropology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the UCF Theses and Dissertations at STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Undergraduate Theses by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation Stanley, Austin Blake, "Reconstructing the Vocal Capabilities of Homo Heidelbergensis, a Close Human Ancestor" (2018). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 312. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/312 RECONSTRUCTING THE VOCAL CAPABILITIES OF HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS, A CLOSE HUMAN ANCESTOR by AUSTIN STANLEY A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors in the Major Program in Anthropology in the College of Sciences and in The Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term, 2018 Thesis Chair: Dr. John Starbuck ABSTRACT The discovery of 5,500 Homo heidelbergensis fossil specimens at the Sima de los Huesos archaeological site in Spain has opened up the opportunity for research to be conducted on the vocal capabilities of this species. Previous research has revealed that the range of vowel sounds an individual can produce, known as the vowel space, is directly affected by the dimensions of the vocal tract. The vowel spaces of two hominins, Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, have been reconstructed through previous research. However, the vowel space of Homo heidelbergensis has not yet been reconstructed. In this research, I aim to explore how the dimensions of the Homo heidelbergensis vocal tract affect the vowel space of that species. This was pursued by measuring the craniospinal dimensions of five Homo heidelbergensis specimens through three dimensional imaging software. When measurements were unattainable due to limitations in the fossil record, regression equations were used to predict missing measurements. By doing so, the vowel space of this species was reconstructed, and crucial information into the vocal capabilities of this close human ancestor was revealed. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 Speech, Language, and Vocal Anatomy ........................................................................... 1 Vocal Tract Dimensions and the Vowel Space ................................................................. 3 Research Goals .................................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................... 8 The Relationship Between Speech and the Hypoglossal Canal Morphology ................... 8 The Relationship Between Speech and the Descent of the Larynx ................................... 9 The Relationship Between Speech and Hyoid Morphology ............................................. 9 The Relationship Between Speech and Vertebral Morphology ...................................... 11 Available Homo heidelbergensis Fossils ........................................................................ 12 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 14 Photogrammetry ............................................................................................................. 15 Three Dimensional Model Processing ........................................................................... 17 Model Scaling and Measurements ................................................................................. 22 Computed Tomography Scan Measurements ................................................................ 28 Regression Equations ..................................................................................................... 30 Formant Frequency Analysis ......................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS .......................................................................................................... 47 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION .................................................................................................... 53 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 55 Study Limitations ........................................................................................................... 55 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 58 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Figure 2 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...................................................................................................................................... 48 Figure 21 ...................................................................................................................................... 49 Figure 22 ...................................................................................................................................... 50 Figure 23 ...................................................................................................................................... 51 Figure 24 ...................................................................................................................................... 52 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Table 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 31 Table 3 ........................................................................................................................................ 37 Table 4 ........................................................................................................................................ 37 Table 5 ........................................................................................................................................ 38 Table 6 .......................................................................................................................................