13 More sophisticated cultural evolution proceeded slowly from this point over a long period of time. There is evidence they were predominantly right handed indicating the bilateral polarization of brain function associated with language. 12 They were tall and heavyset with large brains, some of them larger than the average modern human.
11 The structure of the outer and middle ear of Homo heidelbergensis is similar to modern humans suggesting a similar auditory sensitivity able to differentiate many sounds. Whatever sounds and signals they may have employed they must have depended largely on their subjective intuitive interpretation within a given circumstance as distinct from formally agreed upon objective signs and sounds.Īccording to experts primitive language development had to wait for Homo heidelbergensis 10 about 600,000 y ago and its descendant Homo neanderthalensis, with their ancestor Homo ergaster considered the first human able to vocalize, up to a million years prior.
7 - 9 Although the origins of language remain highly controversial there is general agreement that these early Australopithecus afarensis hominids lacked a formally structured means of communicating. Mary Leakey’s discovery of 3.6 million year old hominid footprints in Tanzania confirmed it was a bipedal trek.
Fragmentary fossils 1 - 6 dating back a few million years allow us patchy glimpses into the misty dawn of human cultures that we attempt to assemble into a coherent tale of our long trek out of the jungle.
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