Origin of speech

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The origin of speech differs from the origin of language because language is not necessarily spoken; it could equally be written or signed. Speech is a fundamental aspect of human communication and plays a vital role in the everyday lives of humans. It allows them to convey thoughts, emotions, and ideas, and providing the ability to connect with others and shape collective reality.^[1][2]

Many attempts have been made to explain scientifically how speech emerged in humans, although to date no theory has generated agreement.

Non-human primates, like many other animals, have evolved specialized mechanisms for producing sounds for purposes of social communication.^[3] On the other hand, no monkey or ape uses its tongue for such purposes.^[4][5] The human species' unprecedented use of the tongue, lips and other moveable parts seems to place speech in a quite separate category, making its evolutionary emergence an intriguing theoretical challenge in the eyes of many scholars.^[6]