The researchers are identfiying that languages that lost V2 may have underwent specific other syntactic changes in the same period. Since these changes co-occurred in multiple languages at different times, they suggest it&#x27;s likely there is an underlying structure linking them (...which they conveniently have an explanation for within their particular brand of universalism).<p>Of course just because language has deeper structures doesn&#x27;t mean the structures are actually universal. I happen to like a lot of the syntactic mechanisms suggested by minimalists (the work on things like adjective order and clause relations is fascinating) but I don&#x27;t necessarily believe it&#x27;s compelling that any of it is an inherent feature in the brain...<p>EDIT: Here are some presentations by the authors, though I must admit I don&#x27;t have the time to look though at the moment. <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.hf.uio.no&#x2F;ilos&#x2F;english&#x2F;research&#x2F;projects&#x2F;traces-of-history&#x2F;presentations&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.hf.uio.no&#x2F;ilos&#x2F;english&#x2F;research&#x2F;projects&#x2F;traces-o...</a>