For decades, evolutionary theorists debated whether human musicality represents an adaptive trait or merely an evolutionary byproduct—what cognitive scientist Steven Pinker famously termed 'auditory cheesecake.' Supporters of the byproduct hypothesis argue that music exploits pre-existing neural systems evolved for language and auditory scene analysis. However, cognitive musicologist Aniruddh Patel points out that music processing engages a highly distributed network of brain regions that only partially overlap with language networks, suggesting a more specialized neural architecture. This distinct neural footprint has led researchers to investigate whether music served a distinct evolutionary purpose, such as social cohesion or infant-caregiver bonding. Consequently, the byproduct view is increasingly seen as an incomplete explanation for the complexity of human musical behaviors.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
- AIt details the specific neural pathways that are exclusively dedicated to language processing.
- It presents scientific evidence that calls into question a key premise supporting the evolutionary byproduct hypothesis.Cevap
- CIt summarizes the main conclusion of the passage regarding the evolutionary origins of human musicality.
- DIt provides a definitive explanation for why human infants are universally responsive to musical stimuli.