A recent study suggests that the human capacity for language may have emerged around 135,000 years ago. This conclusion is based on an analysis of genomic data, offering insights into the timeline of Homo sapiens' development of communication.
The research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, examined 15 genetic studies conducted over the past 18 years. These studies included Y chromosome, mitochondrial DNA, and whole-genome data. The analysis focused on the initial regional branching of human populations. Researchers, analyzing genomic data, suggest that human language capacity was present at least 135,000 years ago, with linguistic behavior emerging around 100,000 years ago.
MIT linguist Shigeru Miyagawa explains that because every population branching across the globe has human language, and all languages are related, the first split occurred about 135,000 years ago. Therefore, human language capacity must have been present by then. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase in symbolic activities around 100,000 years ago, potentially linked to the development of language as a widespread communication tool.