Why are humans the only species that can talk? – BBC World Service

Why humans can form complex speech when other animals cannot is one of science’s greatest mysteries.

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Here we trace the origins of speech to explore why our ancestors began talking and what the very first language might have sounded like.

00:00 Introduction
01:20 Theories about the origin of human language
02:20 What does ancient art tell us about language?
02:42 What was the first word ever said?
03:06 What did the first language sound like?
03:42 What are the oldest languages still spoken today?
04:19 How is human language changing?

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