A tiny set of ancient genetic “switches” may have played a surprisingly large role in making human language possible.

Humans are the only species known to use fully symbolic language: a system capable of expressing abstract ideas, imaginary ...

Neanderthals may have been far more like us than once believed. A new review of genetic, archaeological, and fossil evidence ...

For decades, Neanderthals were thought to be our less sophisticated cousins who communicated through basic sounds and simple ...

Humans' unique language capacity was present at least 135,000 years ago, according to a survey of genomic evidence. As such, language might have entered social use 100,000 years ago. It is a deep ...

My son is a wizard. He walks into the kitchen, looks at me and utters the magic words: “Can I have a cheese and tomato sandwich, please?” A few minutes later, just such a snack appears in front of him ...

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 ...

Many people are overwhelmed by the fast-paced evolution of mass communication in a world increasingly shaped by the internet ...

Language has long been considered a uniquely human trait, with features that mark it out as distinct from the communication of all other species. However, research published in Science has uncovered ...