Symbolic Representation

Certainty Style Key

Certainty styling is being phased out topic by topic.

Hover over keys for definitions:
True   Likely   Speculative
What is MOCA?
MOCA FAQ...
Human Uniqueness Compared to "Great Apes": 
Relative Difference
MOCA Domain: 
Cognition
MOCA Topic Authors: 
Tetsuro Matsuzawa
Lisa Parr

Humans use symbols. Humans have the capability of symbolic representation. The language is based on the cognitive capability of symbolic representation. Do the nonhuman animals have the symbolic representation? Since 1960s, there has been a lot of study so-called "Ape language." Some studies claimed that the great apes mastered a rudimental form of language skills such as American Sign Language. However, the symbols (or signs) learned by the apes are limited to several hundreds and never exceeding thousands. The acquisition rate is not exponential like humans. There is no strong evidence of the grammatical rules of combining the symbols. Moreover, it is very difficult to establish the symbols that have the symmetrical (or equivalent) relationship.

Related MOCA Topics
Referenced By:
Topic Certainty
Arbitrary Reference Likely
Combinatorial Capacity Likely
Displaced Reference Speculative
Moral Sense Speculative
Primary Language Acquisition True

References

  1. The age of hand stencils in Maltravieso cave (Extremadura, Spain) established by U-Th dating, and its implications for the early development of art, Standish, Christopher D., Pettitt Paul, Collado Hipolito, Aguilar Juan Carlos, J. Milton Andy, García-Diez Marcos, Hoffmann Dirk L., Zilhao Joao, and Pike Alistair W. G. , Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2025/02/01/, Volume 61, p.104891, (2025)
  2. A Middle Palaeolithic incised bear bone from the Dziadowa Skała Cave, Poland: the oldest marked object north of the Carpathian Mountains, Płonka, Tomasz, Wiśniewski Andrzej, Marciszak Adrian, Ziółkowski Grzegorz, Lipecki Grzegorz, Diakowski Marcin, and Serwatka Kamil , Journal of Archaeological Science, 2024/06/01/, Volume 166, p.105971, (2024)
  3. Early human collective practices and symbolism in the Early Upper Paleolithic of Southwest Asia, Barzilai, Omry, Marder Ofer, Tejero José-Miguel, Ayalon Avner, Bar-Matthews Miryam, Abulafia Talia, Lavi Ron, Goder-Goldberger Mae, Shemer Maayan, Edeltin Lotan, et al. , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2024/12/17, Volume 121, Issue 51, p.e2404632121, (2024)
  4. Exploring the utility of Geometric Morphometrics to analyse prehistoric hand stencils, V. Navarro, Fernández, Godinho R. M., D. Martínez García, and D. Maidagan Garate , Scientific Reports, 2024/03/15, Volume 14, Issue 1, p.6336, (2024)
  5. Finger Amputation in the Ethnographic and Archaeological Record, McCauley, Brea, and Collard Mark , (2024)
  6. Narrative cave art in Indonesia by 51,200 years ago, Oktaviana, Adhi Agus, Joannes-Boyau Renaud, Hakim Budianto, Burhan Basran, Sardi Ratno, Adhityatama Shinatria, Hamrullah, Sumantri Iwan, Tang M., Lebe Rustan, et al. , Nature, 2024/07/03, (2024)
  7. An Upper Palaeolithic Proto-writing System and Phenological Calendar, Bacon, Bennett, Khatiri Azadeh, Palmer James, Freeth Tony, Pettitt Paul, and Kentridge Robert , Cambridge Archaeological Journal, 2023, p.1-19, (2023)
  8. A worked bone assemblage from 120,000–90,000 year old deposits at Contrebandiers Cave, Atlantic Coast, Morocco, Hallett, Emily Y., Marean Curtis W., Steele Teresa E., Álvarez-Fernández Esteban, Jacobs Zenobia, Cerasoni Jacopo Niccolò, Aldeias Vera, Scerri Eleanor M. L., Olszewski Deborah I., Hajraoui Mohamed Abdeljalil, et al. , iScience, 09/16/2021, (2021)
  9. Earliest parietal art: hominin hand and foot traces from the middle Pleistocene of Tibet, Zhang, David D., Bennett Matthew R., Cheng Hai, Wang Leibin, Zhang Haiwei, Reynolds Sally C., Zhang Shengda, Wang Xiaoqing, Li Teng, Urban Tommy, et al. , Science Bulletin, 2021/09/10/, (2021)
  10. Oldest cave art found in Sulawesi, Brumm, Adam, Oktaviana Adhi Agus, Burhan Basran, Hakim Budianto, Lebe Rustan, Zhao Jian-xin, Sulistyarto Priyatno Hadi, Ririmasse Marlon, Adhityatama Shinatria, Sumantri Iwan, et al. , Science Advances, 2021/01/01, Volume 7, Issue 3, p.eabd4648, (2021)
  11. The symbolic role of the underground world among Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals, Martí, Africa Pitarch, Zilhao Joao, d’Errico Francesco, Cantalejo-Duarte Pedro, Domínguez-Bella Salvador, Fullola Josep M., Weniger Gerd C., and Ramos-Muñoz José , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021/08/17, Volume 118, Issue 33, p.e2021495118, (2021)
  12. The origin, significance, and development of the earliest geometric patterns in the archaeological record, Hodgson, Derek , Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2019/04/01/, Volume 24, p.588 - 592, (2019)
  13. Volcanic eruption eye-witnessed and recorded by prehistoric humans, Ulusoy, İnan, M. Sarıkaya Akif, Schmitt Axel K., Şen Erdal, Danišík Martin, and Gümüş Erdal , Quaternary Science Reviews, 2019/05/15/, Volume 212, p.187 - 198, (2019)
  14. Palaeolithic cave art in Borneo, Aubert, M., Setiawan P., Oktaviana A. A., Brumm A., Sulistyarto P. H., Saptomo E. W., Istiawan B., Ma’rifat T. A., Wahyuono V. N., Atmoko F. T., et al. , Nature, 2018/11/07, (2018)

© CARTA · All rights reserved.   Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Site Map · Site Credits · Related Links · FAQ · Contact Us

UC San DiegoSalk