ToolmaMng at least leaves behind some tangible evidence, but it is much more difficult to trace the origins of spoken language in the Homicide. Inferences about the anatomy and position of the larynx can be made from cranial form, but otherwise fossil bones tell us nothing about speech capabilities.

Archaeological finds of standardized tools and evidence of the cooperative hunting of large animals may well indicate some kind of communication among early hominids, but not necessarily in the form of modem human language. All primates, including man, use visual communications such as facial expressions, body language, and nonlinguistic vocalizations such as screams and cries to transmit information to other members of their group. These communications are largely instinctive, and the signs are very limited in meaning. Spoken language, however, allows human beings to name things with “open” symbols — i.e., symbols that, in countless combinations, can be made to relay different messages. Not only can human communication cover immediate situations and feelings but also discussions at abstract or hypothetical levels. Humans thus can store and transmit knowledge gained by past experiences as well as discuss plans for the future. Read the rest of this entry »