In 6-8 double-spaced pages, take a stance on one of the debates about language evolution listed below, while incorporating the best arguments in favour and opposed to your stance. Like the group presentations, begin by providing the conceptual and empirical history relevant to the debate, and proceed to outline your main argument. Most of the body of the paper should be supporting your claim through primary empirical research. At least one page should outline the primary critique(s) of your stance, and the rest of the paper should be spent countering those critiques before a final summary paragraph or two.
choose one of the topics listed below

Here are the topics:

1. Human language is a communication system that is (or is not) uniquely characterized (i.e. distinguished from all other animal communication systems) by being mildly context sensitive as defined in the Chomsky hierarchy.

2. Human language went (or did not go) through a relatively prolonged proto-language period.

3. Assuming that there was a significant proto-language period in the evolution of human language, the most influential or dominant component driving the selection of increasing proto-language complexity was [lexical/gestural/musical/other].

Topic introduction, broad context, and scientific history
Elaboration of the concept/theory/model (i.e. the nitty-gritty)
Major objections and critiques of the concept/theory/model
Rebuttals to the objections and critiques, brief overall summary