Description: 1. Introduction1.1. Preamble1.2. The Family Tree Model1.3. The Linguistic Item and Linguistic Pool1.4. Levels and Diversity in the Linguistic Pool1.5. Justification, Disguised as Apology1.6. The Need for an Interdisciplinary Approach2. Language Evolution: Basic Mechanisms2.1. Introduction2.2. The Neutral Model2.3. Problems with the Neutral Model2.4. Additional Amplifiers2.5. Summary and Conclusions3. Language Evolution: Computer Simulations3.1. Introduction3.2. The Use of Computer Simulations3.3. Methods3.4. Basic Results3.5. More Realistic Social Structures3.6. Social Selection3.7. Functional Selection3.8. Discrete Traits3.9. Discussion3.10. Adaptive Significance of Social Selection4. Language Diversity: Patterns in Space4.1. Introduction4.2. Quantifying Language Diversity4.3. Vectors of Language Spread4.4. Case Studies4.5. Ecological Risk as a Universal Constraint4.6. Testing the Theory: Methods4.7. Testing the Theory: Results4.8. Hunter-gatherers4.9. Conclusions5. Language Diversity: Changes in Time5.1. Introduction5.2. The Palaeolithic Equilibrium5.3. The Neolithic Punctuation5.4. The Neolithic Aftershock5.5. The Industrial Punctuation5.6. Prospect6. Phylogenetic Diversity6.1. Introduction6.2. Lineages and Stocks6.3. The Distribution of Stocks6.4. Stocks and Time: Nichol's Model6.5. Stocks and Time: An Alternative Model6.6. Validating the Model6.7. Conclusions7. Structural Diversity7.1. Introduction7.2. Causes of Structural Diversity7.3. Geographical Distribution of Structural Diversity7.4. Case Study: Phonological Inventory and the Lexicon7.5. ConclusionsEpilogueAppendix - Global Language Diversity Data

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