Discovery that changes what we know about human evolution

[Knight]

Could be general discussions or here in the days gone by Haven't done the math for 1.6 million years but it's a lot of days.

The 1.6 million-year-old discovery that changes what we know about human evolution
Story by David Keys • 3w • 4 min read

New research has pinpointed the likely time in prehistory when humans first began to speak.

Analysis by British archaeologist Steven Mithen suggests that early humans first developed rudimentary language around 1.6 million years ago – somewhere in eastern or southern Africa.

“Humanity’s development of the ability to speak was without doubt the key which made much of subsequent human physical and cultural evolution possible. That’s why dating the emergence of the earliest forms of language is so important,” Dr Mithen, professor of early prehistory at the University of Reading, told The Independent.

MSN

Interesting what continues to unfold relative to human evolution.

 

[davey]

the problem with all these studies is that they are not understandable by the common/uncommon man/woman and then become unreadable and unbelievable? Can you re-write all of this intro provided in readable english say for 5th form level studies"?

 

[Paco Dennis]

the problem with all these studies is that they are not understandable by the common/uncommon man/woman and then become unreadable and unbelievable? Can you re-write all of this intro provided in readable english say for 5th form level studies"?

I had an AI read the article and asked it to make a 5th grade level report : Gemini ...

How Did We Start Talking?​

Imagine a world where people couldn't really talk, only grunt and use hand signals! That's what things might have been like for very early humans. But new discoveries by scientists suggest there's a date for when we might have started speaking – around 1.6 million years ago in Africa!

Here's the cool part: This ability to speak changed everything! It helped us become smarter, work together better, and even explore new places.

Why is this discovery important?

• Before, scientists thought we only started talking about 200,000 years ago. This new research pushes that date back way earlier!
• Talking helped our brains grow bigger and stronger, especially the part for speaking (called Broca's area).

How do scientists know this?

• They looked at lots of clues, like fossils, bones, and even stone tools!
• Early humans needed to work together to hunt and survive, and speaking would have helped a lot.
• Once we could talk, we could share knowledge and ideas with our kids, making us even smarter!

What was early language like?

• It probably wasn't fancy like today's languages. Maybe just a few dozen sounds and gestures for specific situations.
• But some researchers think parts of those early words might still be around in modern languages!

What's next?

• Scientists might be able to figure out how those first languages worked!
• This discovery helps us understand how we became the talking, thinking people we are today!

 

[davey]

this is still all supposition - they are making what they believe are educated guesses - they need some re-education! - we believe science to be based on "facts" -where do "facts" come from ?? - human observations -- can always be incorrect - I have been listening to scientists and psychologists arguing all my life - ????????????

 

[fuzzybuddy]

Yes, learning when we began to speak is extremely important in understanding ourselves.
But these scientists got it all wrong. Men created speech when confronted by their wives, coming back home to the cave, after an all night session with the guys.