A new analysis of a hyoid fossil bone from a Neanderthal suggests that our ancient ancestors may have the ability to speak like us.
Researchers led by Stephen Wroe, from the University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia, examined the Neanderthal hyoid bone found in 1989. This fossil was very similar to modern human's and scientists said it is "highly suggestive" of complex speech in Neanderthals. The hyoid bone is a horseshoe-shaped structure in the neck that supports the root of the tongue.
Mechanical modelling and 3D x-ray imaging of a Neanderthal throat bone performed by a group of international researchers showed that the hyoid bone of the species behaved with the other surrounding bones. These evidences supported their hypothesis that Neanderthals use the hyoid bone similarly as it is used today.
"Many would argue that our capacity for speech and language is among the most fundamental of characteristics that make us human. If Neanderthals also had language then they were truly human, too," wrote told BBC.
Many believed that complex human language was first spoken about 100,000 years ago and that humans were the only ones capable of speaking this complex language. However, with the discovery of the Neanderthal's hyoid bone, this claim might not be true at all.
Wroe has yet to run simulations on the bone model but he was positive that it was very similar to the bone found in modern human beings.
"We were very careful not to suggest that we had proven anything beyond doubt, but I do think it will help to convince a good number of specialists and tip the weight of opinion", he said.
The Neanderthal man was shorter and heavier than modern human and it has a sloping forehead. Before, they were not regarded as direct ancestors of human but DNA analysis suggested that one to four percent of the Eurasian human genome is similar with that of the Neanderthal's.
The study was published in the December 18 issue of PLOS One.
