"In a radical new story about the birth of our species, The Origin of Language argues that it was not hunting, fighting, or tool making that forced early humans to speak, but rather the inescapable need to care for our children. Journeying to the dawn of Homo sapiens, evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman reveals the happy 'accidents' hidden in our molecular biology--our chromosomes, DNA, and proteins--that led to one of the most fateful events in the history of life on earth: humans giving birth to less developed babies than those of our cousins, the Neanderthals and Denisovans. Faced with highly dependent infants requiring years of nurturing and protection, early human communities needed to cooperate and coordinate, and it was this unprecedented need for communication that triggered the creation of human language--and changed everything. Infusing cutting-edge science, sharp humor, and insights into the history of biology and its luminaries, Beekman weaves a narrative that's both enlightening and entertaining. Challenging the traditional theories proposed by men like Noam Chomksy, Steven Pinker, and Yuval Noah Harari, she invites us into the intricate world of molecular biology and its ancient secrets"-- Dust jacket flap.
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