The Origin of Language: How We Learned to Speak and Why

Human language capacities developed primarily to aid in rearing children, according to this lucid debut from biologist Beekman. Babies are born “underbaked,” Beekman writes, explaining that because human brains are so large, children must be born before theirs are fully grown in order to fit through the birth canal. This creates the need for extensive postnatal care, and language evolved because talking enabled the type of cooperation necessary for “helpless infants” to survive. Writing with wit and making creative use of analogies, Beekman also sheds light on the broader topic of human evolution. She answers the question “Why did our brains get bigger?” by describing how the addition of meat to Homo erectus diets introduced enough nutrients to support such an organ, and she notes the many utilities of social bonds formed by human ancestors. Elsewhere, she uses Tinder as a case study to explain how a genetic mutation in early primates spread and led to “the origin of our species.” Throughout, Beekman showcases her knack for making complex ideas accessible: “It is probably fair to say that human sociality had its origin in Australopithecus’s pathetic-ness.” The result is an edifying and original foray into a critical aspect of human evolution. (Aug.)