Researchers Discover Neanderthals Shared DNA for Complex Language, Impacting Human Speech Evolution
Researchers at the University of Iowa Health Care have uncovered that specific genetic sequences, which evolved before the divergence of humans and Neanderthals, significantly impact human language abilities. The study, led by Jacob Michaelson, Ph.D., highlights the role of Human Ancestor Quickly Evolved Regions (HAQERs) in shaping language development. These genetic sequences, although constituting less than a tenth of a percent of the genome, have a profound influence on language capabilities, acting as regulatory regions that modulate gene expression. The research suggests that Neanderthals possessed these 'volume knobs' for language, indicating that the genetic foundation for complex communication existed earlier than previously thought. This discovery challenges the understanding of when human speech began and suggests that Neanderthals may have had some form of complex communication. 
