Chomskyan nativism about language acquisition apparently commits
its proponents to telling an evolutionary story about the origins of the
human language faculty.  Chomsky's own scruples about this enterprise
notwithstanding, a variety of theories as to the adaptive significance of
language have been proposed.   In this talk, I will sketch some of these
theories, examine their merits, and draw some broader morals for the
Chomskyan enterprise from their successes and failures.