Neandertals may have shared modern-like language capacities with early humans
In short: Researchers reviewing evidence from genetics, archaeology, and linguistics argue that modern language is much older than previously thought. Rather than appearing suddenly with modern humans, the study suggests that recognizable language may have been a feature of our genus, predating the common ancestor of humans and Neandertals by at least half a million years.
By synthesizing data from multiple scientific disciplines, the authors propose a gradual evolution of language through culture-gene co-evolution. This perspective challenges the idea of a single, sudden mutation. However, the paper presents a theoretical reassessment based on existing evidence rather than a new primary empirical study.
Why it matters: Language may be a much older evolutionary trait than the recent emergence of modern humans suggests.
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