Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The origin of human speech is a complex and multidisciplinary topic that lies at the intersection of linguistics, biology, anthropology, and cognitive science. Understanding the biological prerequisites for speech provides insight into how anatomical, neurological, and genetic factors collectively enabled humans to develop this unique communicative capacity. This paper examines the evolutionary development of the human vocal apparatus, the specialization of brain regions responsible for language processing, and the role of genetic mutations such as FOXP2 in facilitating speech production. Additionally, it explores the adaptive advantages of vocal communication in early human societies and its relationship with cognitive and social evolution. By integrating findings from comparative studies between humans and primates, this research highlights the biological foundations that made the emergence of speech possible, emphasizing that language evolution is both a product of biological adaptation and a driver of human cultural advancement.
Author: Aysel Asadova
Institution: Nakhchivan State University
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4415554201