The hearing of Neanderthals was assumed - using a language was possible

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

ネアンデルタール人の聴覚を推定　言語使用の可能性も

2021.03.03 Wed posted at 10:22 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 約４万年前に絶滅したネアンデルタール人は現代人と同じような帯域の音を聞き取ったり、声を発したりする能力を持っていたかもしれないとの研究結果が発表された。言語によるコミュニケーションが発達していた可能性もあるという。

米ニューヨーク州立大学ビンガムトン校の進化学者、ロルフ・クアム准教授らのチームが１日、オンライン科学誌「ネイチャー・エコロジー・アンド・エボリューション」に発表した。

チームはＣＴスキャンを使って現生人類、ネアンデルタール人やその祖先の化石を分析し、耳の構造の３次元モデルを作成。そこからコミュニケーションの方法を推定した。

クアム氏によると、ネアンデルタール人の聴覚を総合的に調べた研究は初めて。外耳道から鼓膜、耳小骨、鼓室など３０以上の条件を検討し、音響エネルギーの伝わり方から、どの周波数帯の音がよく聞こえていたかを割り出した。

その結果、ネアンデルタール人に聞こえた周波数帯はそれ以前の祖先より広く、現代人とよく似ていたこと、人間の話す言語の音をほぼカバーしていたことが分かった。人間の言語音の特徴とされる子音を使って話していたとも考えられる。

ネアンデルタール人が言語を使っていた可能性はこれまでの研究でも指摘されてきた。ただし専門家によると、現代人のように複雑な言語体系を持っていたかどうかは聴覚や発声の仕組みではなく脳の働きによって決まるため、同チームのような研究から判断するのは難しい。

Translation

(CNN) The result of a study released had showed that the Neanderthals, who became extinct about 40,000 years ago, could have had the ability to hear and speak in the same band as modern humans. It was possible that linguistic communication was well developed.

A team formed by associate professor Rolf Quam who was an expert on evolution at Binghamton University, New York State University of USA together with others had on the 1st published this in an online scientific journal "Nature Ecology and Evolution".

The team used CT scan to analyze modern humans, fossils of Neanderthals and their ancestors, and create a three-dimensional model of the ear structure. From there, some method of communication was assumed.

According to Quam, this would be the first comprehensive study of Neanderthal hearing. He examined more than 30 prerequisites - from the ear canal to the eardrum, ossicles, and tympanic cavity; and to determine from how sound energy was transmitted, to which frequency band the sound was heard.

As a result, it was found that the frequency band heard by Neanderthals was wider than that of their predecessors, and was very similar to modern humans. It almost covered the sounds of human spoken language. It was also believed that they were speaking using consonants, which was a characteristic of human speech sound.

Previous studies had pointed out the possibility that Neanderthals could use language. However, according to experts, it was difficult to make judgement from research team like this one because whether or not a person possessed a complicated language system like modern people depended on the function of the brain, not on the mechanism of hearing or vocalization.

              So, this research shows that the Neanderthals could have had the ability to hear and speak in the same band as modern humans, and that the frequency band heard by Neanderthals was wider than that of their predecessors.