Overview

• A study in *Frontiers in Psychology* consolidates findings from 15 genetic studies to propose that human linguistic capacity emerged at least 135,000 years ago.
• Researchers link the emergence of language to the first division of Homo sapiens populations, with the Khoisan peoples of Southern Africa representing the earliest split.
• All 7,000 modern human languages share structural similarities, suggesting a common linguistic origin before the first population split.
• Symbolic behaviors, such as body decoration and engraved ochre, became widespread around 100,000 years ago, potentially catalyzed by language development.
• Debate persists among researchers over whether behavioral shifts were gradual or primarily driven by the emergence of language.