Neanderthals Had the Ability to Communicate Like Humans, New Study Shows
A groundbreaking study has revealed that Neanderthals, our closest ancestors, were capable of perceiving and producing human speech. This finding challenges long-standing questions about Neanderthals’ linguistic abilities and provides new insights into the evolution of language.
The study was led Binghamton University anthropology professor Rolf Quam, who stressed the significance of the findings. According to Quam, the study represents an important breakthrough and marks one of the few research lines relying on fossil evidence to study the evolution of language.
Using high-resolution CT scans, the researchers reconstructed 3D models of the ear structures of Neanderthals and earlier fossils. These models were then used to estimate the hearing abilities of Neanderthals, which were found to be closely aligned with that of modern humans.
Lead author Mercedes Conde-Valverde emphasized that this wider bandwidth suggests Neanderthals possessed a communication system as complex and efficient as modern human speech. Furthermore, co-author Juan Luis Arsuaga stated that the findings highlight a coevolutionary process involving sophisticated behaviors and improved vocal communication across the course of human evolution.
This groundbreaking study was published in Nature Ecology and Evolution and offers valuable insights into Neanderthal speech capacities, marking a pivotal moment in understanding our ancestors’ communication abilities.