Scientists have long debated the origins of human language, a defining trait that separates people from other animals. A new genetic study suggests that early humans may have had the ability to use language as far back as 135,000 years ago, with verbal communication in social settings emerging around 100,000 years ago.
The findings, published in Frontiers in Psychology, come from an interdisciplinary team of researchers including Shigeru Miyagawa, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Rob DeSalle, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History. Experts from institutions in Brazil, Switzerland and the United States also contributed to the study.
Unlike past research that examined fossils or artifacts, this study takes a linguistic and genetic approach. Scientists propose that since all modern languages stem from a common source, estimating their origins requires tracing human migration patterns.
Every human group has language, and all languages are interconnected, Miyagawa said. By studying when early humans dispersed across different regions, we can infer that language must have existed before those migrations began.
To support this theory, the researchers analyzed 15 genetic studies conducted over the past 18 years. These studies examined DNA passed through both maternal and paternal lines, as well as full human genomes. Their findings suggest that the first major population split occurred approximately 135,000 years ago, implying that language must have predated or coincided with this event.
Human language as a thinking tool before communication
One of the study’s key hypotheses is that language may have first functioned as an internal thought system before becoming a social tool. Miyagawa explains that language serves two primary purposes—facilitating thought and enabling communication. Early humans may have used language privately in their minds before gradually integrating it into social interactions.
Genomic study indicates our capacity for language emerged 135,000 years ago.
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A groundbreaking study published on March 14, 2025, sheds new light on the origins of human language, pinpointing its emergence to between 135,000 years ago. This research, rooted in genomic… pic.twitter.com/2LTimKQ4Wq
— Brian Roemmele (@BrianRoemmele) March 14, 2025
This idea is reinforced by archaeological discoveries. Around 100,000 years ago, early humans began producing symbolic objects, including engraved patterns and decorative artifacts made with red ochre. These findings suggest the presence of abstract thinking, a cognitive ability closely linked to language.
Ian Tattersall, a co-author and an expert in human origins, argues that language likely played a central role in shaping early human societies. He believes it not only improved communication but also spurred innovation and complex social structures.
Language didn’t just help us talk—it changed the way we think, Tattersall said. It may have been a driving force behind the development of modern human behavior.
Not all experts agree with this perspective. Some scholars argue that language developed gradually alongside other cognitive and social advancements, such as tool-making, cooperation and environmental adaptation. In this view, language was not the primary driver of human evolution but one of many factors that contributed to Homo sapiens’ success.