Even though vervet monkeys seem to be able to produce specific distress calls from birth without the benefit of experience, they acquire the ability to respond appropriately to those calls only after several months of life, presumably due to experience. This finding suggests that
A) human language and vervet calls arise from different cognitive mechanisms.
B) vervet calls are a direct evolutionary precursor of human language.
C) the ability to produce human language is innate but the ability to understand it is not.
D) human infants need a great deal of exposure to language before they can understand it, but less exposure is needed to produce it.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The finding suggests a difference in the development of communication abilities between vervet monkeys and humans, implying that human language and vervet calls may arise from different cognitive mechanisms, rather than suggesting a direct evolutionary link or making specific claims about the innateness of language production versus comprehension in humans.

Even Though Vervet Monkeys Seem to Be Able to Produce