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A major blow to primate neonatal imitation and mirror neuron theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2017

W. Tecumseh Fitch
W. Tecumseh Fitch*
Affiliation:
Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria. tecumseh.fitch@univie.ac.athttp://homepage.univie.ac.at/tecumseh.fitch/
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Abstract

Keven & Akins' (K&A's) compelling new hypothesis explaining the developmental and neural basis of neonatal tongue protrusion has important implications for current understanding of primate imitation and the explanatory value of mirror neurons. If correct, this hypothesis eliminates a major source of evidence for neonatal imitation. I explore the implications this has for mirror neuron research and the arguments building upon them.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e390
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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