Can you hear me now?
If a single hominid recited sestinas in the savanna, would her colleagues have understood her? No more than anyone would today — but maybe no less, either. New research that reconstructs the ear canals of Homo heidelbergensis suggests that the auditory capacities required to perceive human speech may have evolved earlier than some believe, suggesting that we’ve been talking about things for longer than expected.Previous estimates proposed either the rapid emergence of language around 50,000 years ago or a more gradual phase-in over time. But the study of 530,000-year-old skulls suggest that H. heidelbergensis — an ancestor of Neandertals — may have had the same sonic capacity as today’s dominant species. The specimen came from Sima de los Huesos, the subject of a fascinating exhibit a few years back at American Museum of Natural History.
ADDITION: Much better treatment of the research on Science News.
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You’re currently reading “ Can you hear me now? ,” an entry on Hominids dot Us
- Published:
- 7.18.08 / 7pm
- Category:
- Homo, Neanderthal
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