Baboons Can Make Sounds Found in Human Speech

The findings suggest language may have started to evolve millions of years earlier than once thought.

Written byDiana Kwon

| 2 min read

Save for Later

Listen with Speechify

0:00

2:00

FLICKR, DEREK KEATS

Baboons can produce some of the precursors to human speech, according to a study published January 11 in PLOS ONE. These findings suggest human-like language, complete with vowel sounds, may have emerged much earlier than previously thought.

Scientists long suspected that a low larynx, which most primates lack, was necessary to produce the vowel sounds that are so integral to human language. There were, however, hints that this might not be the case—prior studies had suggested that human infants whose larynxes had not yet descended could still make vowel sounds.

To test if monkeys could do the same, Louis-Jean Boë, a primatologist at Grenoble Alpes University in France, and his colleagues analyzed over 1,000 vocalizations from 15 guinea baboons, a monkey species from West Africa. ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member?

Add The Scientist as a preferred Google source to see more of our trusted coverage.

Meet the Author

Diana Kwon
Go to The Scientist's LinkedIn Page
Diana is a freelance science journalist who covers the life sciences, health, and academic life. She’s a regular contributor to The Scientist and her work has appeared in several other publications, including Scientific American, Knowable, and Quanta. Diana was a former intern at The Scientist and she holds a master’s degree in neuroscience from McGill University. She’s currently based in Berlin, Germany.
View Full Profile