The Symbolic Species is a 1997 book by biological anthropologist Terrence Deacon on the evolution of language.

[1][2] Combining perspectives from neurobiology, evolutionary theory, linguistics, and semiotics, Deacon proposes that language, along with the unique human capacity for symbolic thought, co-evolved with the brain.

The Symbolic Species is a multi-disclipinary book that at the time of publishing was seen as groundbreaking.

It is considered to have bound together a wide array of ideas in a way that advanced the understanding of professionals in several fields.

The solution of this chicken-and-egg problem, according to Deacon, is the subtle evolutionary process of co-evolution.