The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, is based on genomic data on the geographical divergence of the first human populations to estimate the origin of language.
New genomic evidence suggests that the unique linguistic capacity of humans had existed at least 135,000 years ago and that language may have entered social use 100,000 years ago.
The Homo Sapiens human species is approximately 230,000 years. Estimates of language origin vary greatly, based on different types of evidence, from fossils to cultural artifacts.
The authors of the new analysis, published in the they adopted a different approach, reported on Friday the Europa Press agency.
Scientists have argued that because all human languages probably have a common origin – as researchers believe strongly – the main question is when regional groups began to spread around the world.
“The logic is very simple. All populations that spread across the planet have a human language, and all languages are related,” said Shigeru Miyagawa, a MIT professor in the United States, and co -author of a in a statement.
Data indicate initial regional branch of humans about 135,000 years ago
Based on what genomic data indicates about the geographical divergence of the first human populations, he added: “I think we can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that the first division occurred about 135,000 years ago, so the capacity of human language must have been present at that time, or even before.”
The new article examines 15 genetic studies of different varieties published in the last 18 years. Three used data on inherited Y chromosome, three examined the Mitochondrial DNA, and nine were studies of the full genome.
Overall, the data of these studies suggest an initial regional branch of humans about 135,000 years ago. That is, after the appearance of Homo sapiens, groups of people were geographically separated and, over time, some resulting genetic variations were developed between different regional subpopulations.
“No other animal has a similar structure in your communication system”
The amount of genetic variation demonstrated in the studies allows researchers to estimate the time when Homo sapiens was still an indivisible group.
Some researchers proposed that language capacity dates back to a few million years, based on the physiological characteristics of other primates.
But for Miyagawa, the question is not when primates were able to issue certain sounds, but when humans have acquired cognitive ability to develop such language today, combining vocabulary and grammar in a system that generates an infinite number of rules -based expressions.
“Human language is qualitatively different because two elements, words and syntax work together to create this very complex system,” said Miyagawa. “No other animal has a similar structure in your communication system. And this gives us the ability to generate very sophisticated thoughts and communicate them to others.”
