Recent research published in Science reveals that a team of scientists has detected the capability of bonobos to combine sounds in ways that create new meanings, an attribute previously thought to be unique to human language. Primatologist Federica Amici highlights that this discovery pushes the origins of language further back in evolutionary history, indicating that communication differences between humans and other great apes are less distinct than previously believed. However, some researchers maintain skepticism, arguing that the findings do not provide new insights into human language evolution and that many species communicate using fixed meanings.
The present findings don't tell us anything about the evolution of language. Many species can communicate with sounds, but their meanings are usually static.
Differences between humans and other primates in communication are far less distinct than we have long assumed, suggesting language roots are deeper in evolutionary history.
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