Neanderthals Had Genetic Hardware for Language, New Study Suggests

A recent publication in Science Advances reveals that Neanderthals had the genetic foundation for language. Led by Jacob Michaelson from the University of Iowa, researchers examined the genomes of 350 children and over 100,000 individuals, discovering that HAQERs (human ancestor quickly evolved regions) significantly impact language capability—200 times more than other genomic segments. These regions emerged after the divergence of hominins and chimpanzees 6-8 million years ago, but prior to the split between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals around 765,000-550,000 years ago. Neanderthals likely possessed HAQERs, potentially even more pronounced than those found in modern humans. While this suggests they engaged in complex communication, experts like Mark Pagel warn that HAQERs might have initially developed for brain expansion, remaining stable for 20,000 years due to constraints on fetal skull size.