Evolution of (proto)language between pantomime and narrative

This article contributes to the ongoing discussion about the nature of protolanguage, which is a hypothetical communication system that is believed to have characterized the communication of ancestor hominins before the emergence of language as we know it today. A number of theoretical models have been put forth in an effort to elucidate the nature of protolanguage’s characteristics. This work illustrates that, at a general level, these models can be related to three main aspects: the structure, the adaptive function and the modality of this ancient communication system. By synthesizing the main findings pertaining to these three elements, this paper advances the proposal that this ancient communication system was a pantomimic protolanguage with the primary function of influencing others’ behavior through storytelling.