Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – The question of when human language first emerged is a profound one rooted deeply in our history. Recent genomic evidence suggests that our unique capacity for language was present at least 135,000 years ago.
It is believed that language may have begun to be used socially around 100,000 years ago. Homo sapiens, our species, has existed for approximately 230,000 years. Estimates regarding the origin of language vary significantly and are based on diverse forms of evidence such as fossils and cultural artifacts.
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In a new study, scientists adopted a different perspective by focusing on the idea that all human languages likely share a common origin. They propose that the crucial question is determining how far back in time regional groups began dispersing across the globe.
“The logic is very simple,” says Shigeru Miyagawa, an MIT professor and co-author of a new paper summarizing the results.
“Every population branching across the globe has human language, and all languages are related.”
Based on what the genomics data indicate about the geographic divergence of early human populations, he adds, “I think we can say with a fair amount of certainty that the first split occurred about 135,000 years ago, so human language capacity must have been present by then, or before.”
The recent paper provides an in-depth analysis of 15 genetic studies conducted over the last 18 years, focusing on various human genetic markers. These include three studies using Y chromosome data, three examining mitochondrial DNA, and nine whole-genome analyses. Collectively, these studies suggest that humans began to branch regionally about 135,000 years ago. Following the emergence of Homo sapiens, groups dispersed geographically, leading to distinct genetic variations among regional subpopulations.
The extent of genetic variation observed allows researchers to pinpoint when Homo sapiens existed as a single undivided group. According to Miyagawa, this body of research offers increasingly consistent evidence regarding the timing of these geographic separations.
The first survey of this nature was conducted in 2017 with fewer available studies. However, with more data now accessible and analyzed collectively, it supports the hypothesis that the initial split occurred around 135,000 years ago. This new meta-analysis was feasible due to both an increase in study quantity and improved quality within a narrower timeframe.
Miyagawa also explores linguistic connections across human languages in his work at the University of São Paulo. He argues for a common origin among all languages—a concept he explored in his book “Why Agree? Why Move?” by identifying similarities between English, Japanese, and Bantu languages out of over 7,000 known human languages worldwide.
While some scholars suggest language capacity dates back millions of years based on primate physiology, Miyagawa emphasizes understanding when humans developed cognitive abilities for complex language systems involving vocabulary and grammar capable of generating infinite expressions through rules-based structures.
“Human language is qualitatively different because there are two things, words and syntax, working together to create this very complex system,” Miyagawa says. “No other animal has a parallel structure in their communication system. And that gives us the ability to generate very sophisticated thoughts and to communicate them to others.”
This conception of human language origins also holds that humans had the cognitive capacity for language for some period of time before we constructed our first languages.
“Language is both a cognitive system and a communication system,” Miyagawa says. “My guess is prior to 135,000 years ago, it did start out as a private cognitive system, but relatively quickly that turned into a communications system.”
Understanding when distinctively human language first emerged is a fascinating inquiry, and the archaeological record provides crucial insights. Approximately 100,000 years ago, evidence indicates a significant rise in symbolic activities. These include meaningful markings on objects and the use of fire to produce ocher, a decorative red pigment. Such activities are uniquely human and mirror our complex and highly generative language capabilities.
As highlighted in research findings, “behaviors compatible with language and the consistent exercise of symbolic thinking are detectable only in the archaeological record of H. sapiens.” Scientists believe that language played a pivotal role as a catalyst for symbolic thinking and other organized activities among early humans.
“Language was the trigger for modern human behavior,” Miyagawa says. “Somehow, it stimulated human thinking and helped create these kinds of behaviors. If we are right, people were learning from each other [due to language] and encouraging innovations of the types we saw 100,000 years ago.”
As noted by the authors in the paper, some scholars argue for a more gradual and widespread development of new activities around 100,000 years ago. This perspective suggests that advancements involved materials, tools, and social coordination, with language contributing to these developments but not necessarily being the primary driving force. Miyagawa acknowledges that there is significant potential for further research in this field. However, he believes that efforts such as those presented in the current paper are valuable steps toward creating a more comprehensive understanding of how language emerged.
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“Our approach is very empirically based, grounded in the latest genetic understanding of early Homo sapiens,” Miyagawa says. “I think we are on a good research arc, and I hope this will encourage people to look more at human language and evolution.”
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
