title: Articulatory capacity of Neanderthals, a very recent and human-like fossil hominin.
abstract: Scientists seek to use fossil and archaeological evidence to constrain models of the coevolution of human language and tool use. We focus on Neanderthals, for whom indirect evidence from tool use and ancient DNA appears consistent with an adaptation to complex vocal-auditory communication. We summarize existing arguments that the articulatory apparatus for speech had not yet come under intense positive selection pressure in Neanderthals, and we outline some recent evidence and analyses that challenge such arguments. We then provide new anatomical results from our own attempt to reconstruct vocal tract (VT) morphology in Neanderthals, and document our simulations of the acoustic and articulatory potential of this reconstructed Neanderthal VT. Our purpose in this paper is not to polarize debate about whether or not Neanderthals were human-like in all relevant respects, but to contribute to the development of methods that can be used to make further incremental advances in our understanding of the evolution of speech based on fossil and archaeological evidence.
authors: Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, University Road Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Barney
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Martelli
authors: Antoine
authors: A
authors: Serrurier
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Steele
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005580:Fossils; D006801:Humans; D006928:Hyoid Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D007802:Language; D007830:Larynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D059125:Neanderthals / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012886:Skull / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013060:Speech; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed