New research has pinpointed the likely time in prehistory when humans first began to speak. Analysis by British archaeologist Steven Mithen suggests that early humans first developed rudimentary ...

The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only hominids who could give detailed directions to a far-off freshwater ...

When did language start? Find out why the exact timeline for the evolution of language remains up for debate among researchers. The development of human language has long fascinated scholars and ...

A new analysis of genomic research suggests that humans had the cognitive capacity for language at least 135,000 years ago. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, examines genetic data to ...

Our unique language systems distinguish us from other species, but researchers explore how early hand gestures paved the way for civilization. Language gave humans a leg up compared to all other ...

Early humans may have started using language for communication over 100,000 years ago, a new review of genomic data shows. There are some 7,000 identified languages spoken globally, and researchers ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Among the myriad abilities that humans possess, which ones are uniquely human? Language has been a top candidate at least since ...