Abstract
This chapter evaluates predictions that the origins of at least some gestures of human infants are shaped through ontogenetic ritualization (Clark 1978; Lock 1978; Tomasello 2008). To do so, we examine the development of five gesture types in four children between the ages of 6.5 and 11.5 months. This analysis supports a comparison between those gestures thought to be ritualized ( pick-me-up, graspindex ), with those that are socially learned ( wave, clap, clasp-hands ). Although some limited evidence for ritualization is found, developmental similarity amongst the five gesture types is strong. Through comparisons of gesture ontogeny between human and non-human primates, we explore the possible reasons for this result.
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