They propose that hypoglossal canal size in fossil hominids may provide an indication of the motor coordination of the tongue and reflect the evolution of speech and language. What they report is that the hypoglossal canals of gracile Australopithecus, and possibly Homo habilis, fall within the range of extant African apes, and are significantly smaller than those of modern Homo. In summary, the authors suggest these anatomical findings indicate the vocal capabilities of Neanderthals were the same as those of humans today. The authors further suggest that the vocal abilities of Australopithecus were not advanced significantly over those of chimpanzees, whereas those of Homo may been essentially modern by at least 400,000 years ago, which is consistent with the evidence for accelerated encephalization rates in middle Pleistocene Homo. This publication is protected by U.S. and International Copyright Laws, and no display, transmission, or duplication in any medium, including BBS, Internet Email, or website duplication, is permitted without the explicit consent of the rights holder.
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