Today, humans speak over 7,000 languages, yet all of them might share a common origin that dates back at least 135,000 years. A new review suggests that a fundamental feature of human language was already in place before our species started splitting into distinct populations.
By 100,000 years ago, this shift had firmly shaped human behavior, becoming visible in symbolic artifacts such as body decorations and engravings.
A Linguistic Family Tree Tracing Back To Our Earliest Ancestors
Linguist Shigeru Miyagawa from MIT argues that human language must have been present before the first population split. “Every population branching across the globe has human language, and all languages are related,” he explains.
According to Miyagawa and his colleagues, the timing of this linguistic development suggests it played a key role in stimulating human thinking, leading to innovations that define modern human behavior.
The Genetic And Archaeological Clues Behind Ancient Language
The study reviewed 15 different research papers and found a convergence of evidence from multiple disciplines. Whole-genome studies, Y chromosome analyses, and mitochondrial DNA research all indicate that early Homo sapiens began splitting into separate populations around 135,000 years ago.
If language had developed later, some modern human groups might have lacked language entirely or used vastly different modes of communication—but that is not the case.
One of the most intriguing clues comes from engraved ostrich eggshells dating back 60,000 years. These symbolic markings suggest that early humans used complex communication systems long before the widespread use of writing.
Another key discovery is 75,000-year-old shell beads from Africa, thought to represent early symbolic behavior linked to social identity and communication.
Miyagawa and his team believe that language was the catalyst behind such developments.” Somehow it stimulated human thinking and helped create these kinds of behaviors,” he says.
Did Language Spark Modern Human Behavior?
The study raises a provocative question: Did language itself trigger the rise of modern human behaviors? Miyagawa believes it did. If we are right, people were learning from each other [due to language] and encouraging innovations of the types we saw 100,000 years ago.”
Not all archaeologists agree. Some researchers argue that these behavioral changes were more gradual and not solely dependent on language. They propose that early humans experimented with materials and formed more complex social networks over time, leading to cultural advancements even before fully developed language emerged.
Moreover, language capacity is not unique to Homo sapiens. Other animals, such as primates, birds, and even dolphins, exhibit structured communication systems.
However, the way humans use symbolic language is distinct. One example is our ability to use figurative speech, such as saying “spill the beans” to mean revealing a secret. This kind of abstract thinking, Miyagawa suggests, enabled the formation of sophisticated thoughts and cultural transmission across generations.
The study suggests that symbolic thinking sets humans apart. “This gives us the ability to generate very sophisticated thoughts and to communicate them to others,” Miyagawa explains. He argues that language was the key factor that triggered modern human behavior.
