WASHINGTON — The way most of us speak today is shaped in part by how long ago our ancestors gave up chewing tough, raw meat. The researchers analyzed Stone Age and modern skulls and created simulations of how different jaw placements allow our mouths to make different sounds. Eating softer foods not only sets the jaw in a different fashion, but also changes which sounds are easily pronounced. The notion that agriculture shaped language was first suggested decades ago by American linguist Charles Hockett, but he did not attempt to prove it. ——The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education.

Source: National Post March 14, 2019 18:00 UTC