In caves and rock shelters across Africa, archaeologists have uncovered pierced shells, etched ochre, and carefully shaped stone tools. These objects suggest planning, shared meaning, and social rules ...

A tiny set of ancient genetic “switches” may have played a surprisingly large role in making human language possible. Researchers found that these DNA regions, which act like volume controls for genes ...

Humans are the only species known to use fully symbolic language: a system capable of expressing abstract ideas, imaginary worlds and endless combinations of meaning. But how did we get there? The ...

Humans are not the only primates that laugh. Chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans all produce laughter, but scientists have long wondered how those vocalizations changed over millions of ...