In the tree of Indo-European languages, some words are remarkably similar across several languages, whilst many other words are remarkably different.

Conservation and diversification

Can Darwin's theory of evolution be applied to languages? If so what are the analogues for natural selection and species diversification? What truths does this approach reveal and what problems does it throw up? In this album Professor Mark Pagel of Reading University and Quentin Atkinson, an evolutionary biologist at Oxford, discuss the pitfalls and the up-sides to approaching language through a Darwinian model. Focussing on Indo-European languages, they show how mathematical and statistical models can be used to study the development of both particular words and of grammatical terms. Looking to the future they speculate on how language will develop in the new globalised culture. 
The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.

Education

Can Darwin's theory of evolution be applied to languages? If so what are the analogues for natural selection and species diversification? What truths does this approach reveal and what problems does it throw up? In this album Professor Mark Pagel of Reading University and Quentin Atkinson, an evolutionary biologist at Oxford, discuss the pitfalls and the up-sides to approaching language through a Darwinian model. Focussing on Indo-European languages, they show how mathematical and statistical models can be used to study the development of both particular words and of grammatical terms. Looking to the future they speculate on how language will develop in the new globalised culture. The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.

Share Conservation and diversification

Sign up to save your podcasts

Conservation and diversification

Conservation and diversification

More shows like Darwin and language diversity - Audio

Writing Poetry - Audio

Start writing plays - Audio

Start writing essays - Audio

Beginners’ Chinese - Audio

Charles Darwin - the man and the scientist - for iPod/iPhone

Environmental Science in the Field - for iPod/iPhone

Earth's physical resources: extracting coal and oil - for iPod/iPhone

Space, Time and Consciousness - for iPod/iPhone

Wales: Culture and identity - Audio

Andante: beginners' Italian - Audio