The Origins of Representations: Cognitive and Brain Development

This book provides an account of the origins and development of iconic and symbolic representations in our evolutionary lineage, the hominis, and of the cognitive capacities and brain structures that support such a development. At first, it introduces the three basic types of signs, such as indices, icons, and symbols, used by most animals, including apes and hominins, for communicating and interacting with the environment, and discusses the differences among them. In turn, it explains the evolu