even while i am desperately (and i repeat, DESPERATELY) studying for my psych midterm...
"In humans, compared with other mammals, the larynx is low. Although this feature is good for producing speech sounds, it comes at a cost. Because our larynx is low, food from our mouths can fall into the trachea, and we run the risk of choking to death. (...) Changes in the shape of the mouth that go along with the lower larynx also account for the frequent human problem of overcrowded teeth and impacted wisdom teeth (Lieberman, 1991). These life-threatening disadvantages that come with a vocal tract that is good for speech suggest that speech must have been very useful to the first hominids who had it. It must have given them a survival advantage that more than compensated for the risk of death from infected teeth and choking on food." - one of my psych readings.
isn't it classic? haha.
Labels: busy busy busy