In the Western world, parents are urged to talk to their infants soon after they’re born — and to keep talking to them. Chat about everyday things, read books, tell stories, sing songs, Australia’s ...

Humans don’t just recognize each other’s voices—our brains also light up for the calls of chimpanzees, hinting at ancient communication roots shared with our closest primate relatives. Researchers ...

The genetic hardware that gave rise to humanity’s unique language capabilities first emerged at least 135,000 years ago, when all Homo sapiens still lived in one unbroken tribe. As this original group ...

How much does the evolution of human speech owe to one amino acid? The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only ...

A new study links a particular gene and a protein variant found only in humans to the origins of spoken language. Researchers used CRISPR gene editing to replace the NOVA1 protein found in mice with ...

You see a cat chasing a mouse. You probably don’t realize it, but as soon as you catch sight of this scene unfolding, your brain makes a key distinction between the cat and the mouse: It identifies ...

The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only hominids who could give detailed directions to a far-off freshwater ...

The Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) fascinate researchers and the general public alike. They remain central to debates about the nature of the genus Homo (the broad biological classification that ...

The brain doesn't just recognize the human voice. A study by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) shows that certain areas of our ...

Pooches, puppers, doggos – all these words mean the same thing. And, now it appears that the dogs themselves can connect similar linguistic labels, according to a new study from Eötvös Lorand ...

Steven Mithen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond ...

Expression pattern of NOVA1 in the brain of amouse. NOVA1 in green, nuclei (DAPI) in blue. The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are ...