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Talk22 min

The link between evolution and language

Richard Dawkins · TED

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About

Languages drift, adapt and evolve much like living species. In this wide-ranging conversation, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and linguist John McWhorter trace the parallels between biology and speech, from random mutations to cultural selection. They show how both genes and words change, survive and connect us — illuminating the deep patterns that shape life and language alike.

The talk

  1. The link between evolution and language 22 min · TED's player

Credits and licence

Institution
TED
Department
TED2025
Speaker
Richard Dawkins
Year
2025
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Biology, History, Languages and linguistics
Source
TED
Licence
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, as TED states it. Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions. TED's terms
Attribution
TED Talks are licensed by TED under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International and are shown here in TED's own player, as TED's usage policy asks.
Who can watch
TED gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed