A University of New England study has found that Neanderthals spoke in languages similar to the ones used by modern humans today.
Humans pride themselves on their unique ability to communicate with each other through the medium of speech. Popular belief has it that other beings, including the Neanderthals with whom our ancestors shared Earth for thousands of years, lacked the necessary cognitive capacity and vocal hardware for speech.
However, in a ground-breaking research, University of New England made the revolutionary discovery that that Neanderthals spoke in languages similar to the ones used by modern humans today.
The researchers used 3D x-ray imaging technology to examine a 60,000 year-old Neanderthal hyoid bone discovered in Israel in 1989. Though it was previously established that hyoids of Neanderthals were the same shape as modern humans, experts argued that it didn't prove that the hyoids were used for speech by our species cousin.
"To many, the Neanderthal hyoid discovered was surprising because its shape was very different to that of our closest living relatives, the chimpanzee and the bonobo. However, it was virtually indistinguishable from that of our own species. This led to some people arguing that this Neanderthal could speak," Associate Professor Stephen Wroe said in a press statement.
"By analyzing the mechanical behavior of the fossilized bone with micro x-ray imaging, we were able to build models of the hyoid that included the intricate internal structure of the bone. We then compared them to models of modern humans. Our comparisons showed that in terms of mechanical behavior, the Neanderthal hyoid was basically indistinguishable from our own, strongly suggesting that this key part of the vocal tract was used in the same way," he said. "From this research, we can conclude that it's likely that the origins of speech and language are far, far older than once thought."
This is not the first time researchers have discovered similar traits between modern humans and Neanderthals. A previous study found that Neanderthals also indulged in organizing their living spaces as modern humans do.
Neanderthals are an extinct species of the genus Homo. They are closely related to modern humans and lived between 600,000 and 350,000 years ago. A comparison of the DNA of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens (humans) suggests that they diverged from a common ancestor between 350,000 and 400,000 years ago. Though not certain, it is speculated that this ancestor may be Homo heidelbergensis that originated between 800,000 and 1,300,000 years ago.
The new study was funded by an Australian Research Council grant. Findings were published online in PLOS.
