When did human language begin? It’s a deep question about our past.
A new study suggests that humans had the ability to use language at least 135,000 years ago.
However, it may have taken another 35,000 years before language became a common part of social life.
Humans (Homo sapiens) have been around for about 230,000 years.
Scientists have tried to figure out when language started by looking at fossils and ancient tools. But this new study took a different approach.
Researchers analyzed genetic data to find out when early human groups started to spread across the world.
Since all human groups today use language, scientists believe this means our ancestors had language before they split up.
MIT professor Shigeru Miyagawa, a co-author of the study, explains: “All human populations have language, and all languages are connected. Since the first major split in human populations happened about 135,000 years ago, our language ability must have existed before then.”
The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, examined 15 previous genetic studies from the last 18 years.
These studies used different types of DNA, including Y chromosomes, mitochondrial DNA, and full genomes.
By comparing this data, researchers estimated that early humans were still a single group about 135,000 years ago before spreading out. This supports the idea that language was already present at that time.
Professor Miyagawa believes all human languages come from a single origin. He has studied similarities between different languages, such as English, Japanese, and some African languages. Today, there are over 7,000 languages worldwide, all sharing some basic structures.
Some scientists think language might be millions of years old, based on the ability of early primates to make sounds. But Miyagawa argues that human language is unique because it combines words and grammar into an advanced system. This allows us to create complex thoughts and communicate in ways no other species can.
The study also suggests that before humans started speaking to each other, language may have existed only in our minds. At some point before 135,000 years ago, humans may have had the ability to think in words but not yet use them for communication. Eventually, this private thought system became a social tool, leading to the birth of language as we know it.
The archaeological record supports this idea. Around 100,000 years ago, humans started engaging in symbolic activities, like making meaningful carvings and using colored pigments. These activities suggest advanced thinking, likely made possible by language.
Miyagawa believes language played a key role in human progress. “Language was the trigger for modern human behavior,” he says. It allowed people to share knowledge, learn from each other, and develop new ideas.
While some researchers think language evolved gradually alongside tool-making and social cooperation, this new study offers a fresh perspective based on genetics. Miyagawa hopes it will inspire more studies on how language and human evolution are connected.
This research was supported by the São Paolo Research Foundation.
