How long did it take for anatomically modern humans to develop a language?
When homo sapiens came into being, how long did it took them to develop a language? I suppose there were many small tribes of people, but how long would it would have taken for one tribe to develop their own language?
It must be have been a really long time before a somewhat large group of people could develop a language, since it would probably take a long time for a small tribe to develop a language, and then it could get wiped out by a bigger tribe.
Answers
Anonymous
Homo sapiens always had language, and their ancestors of a different species had language before them. I don't know what you're thinking, but... that's not how it works.
Gray Bold
Little is known about the timing of language's emergence in the human species. Unlike writing, speech leaves no material trace, making it archaeologically invisible.
oikoσ
I suspect that language preceded Homo sapiens. Chimps have a vocal language. So do dogs and many birds.
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