[RightWingAtheist]

It has been postulated that the visual and linguistic modules are strongly correlated, and possibly even "split" from the same ancestral module. It would explain why we have have both a "spoken" and "gestural" grammar, as well as our abilities at writing and visual representation (drawing and sculpting, etc.), traits which can NOT be explained as being a result of selective evolutionary pressures, as language can.

[angkor]

traits which can NOT be explained as being a result of selective evolutionary pressures, as language can.

Expand on that statement when you have a moment.

[angkor]

It has been postulated that the visual and linguistic modules are strongly correlated, and possibly even "split" from the same ancestral module

Interesting, I pick up Bateson's Steps To An Ecology Of Mind, and here in the thesis "Redundancy And Coding" is the following:

"I suggest that this separate burgeoning evolution of kinesics and paralanguage alongside the evolution of verbal language indicates that our iconic communication servers functions totally different from those of language and, indeed, performs functions which verbal language is unsuited to perform."

Bateson's main argument is that kinesic and verbal communications exist independently for the sake of redundancy.

[SauronOfMordor]

It has been postulated that the visual and linguistic modules are strongly correlated, and possibly even "split" from the same ancestral module. It would explain why we have have both a "spoken" and "gestural" grammar, as well as our abilities at writing and visual representation (drawing and sculpting, etc.), traits which can NOT be explained as being a result of selective evolutionary pressures, as language can.

Gestural communication is used widely as a supplement to verbal communication, although most of the time you don't notice it. As an Italian, I tend to "speak with my hands" a lot.

The ability to communicate with gestures and hand signals would have been valuable to early hunters (to avoid being heard by the hunted) and is in use today in the military (hand and arm signals to silently communicate things like "danger ahead", "take cover", etc)