The Ascent of Human Language

The provided text explores the complex, mosaic evolution of human language, drawing on anatomical, neurological, and genetic evidence. It explains how the human vocal tract's unique structure, including the descended larynx and hyoid bone, developed over millions of years, enabling precise speech. The text also discusses neurological changes, such as the reorganization of brain areas like Broca's and Wernicke's, and the genetic underpinnings of language, shifting from a focus on FOXP2 as a "language gene" to understanding a network of genes that regulate brain development. Finally, it synthesizes these lines of evidence to suggest a gradual timeline of linguistic capabilities in hominins, including Neanderthals, and briefly touches upon the gestural origins hypothesis as a complementary model for language emergence.

Research done with the help of artificial intelligence, and presented by two AI-generated hosts.