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Humans began to rapidly accumulate technological knowledge 600k years ago

(news.asu.edu)
273 points geox | 4 comments | 17 Jun 24 21:28 UTC | HN request time: 0.901s | source
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gcanyon ◴[18 Jun 24 00:41 UTC] No.40712874[source]▶
You have to think that there were breakthroughs in communication technology — not just language in general but possibly also one individual who happened to be good at explaining things, either before or after language, who both taught more people, but also taught them how to teach — that led to step changes in technology.
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davidmnoll ◴[18 Jun 24 03:38 UTC] No.40713840[source]▶
This was at least 200k years before the advent of speech if you go by the hyoid bone evidence.
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1. kgeist ◴[18 Jun 24 06:07 UTC] No.40714526[source]▶
What if the first language was a sort of sign language, and vocalizations were only auxiliary, optional? With time, humans who vocalized had a better chance to be understood, and their vocal tract evolved. Humans instinctively gesture to this day when speaking.
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2. davidmnoll ◴[18 Jun 24 12:45 UTC] No.40717175[source]▶
This has been hypothesized, but the fact that there aren’t many or any purely sign languages still around and other primates don’t show signs of using signs makes that seem like a reach, IMO
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3. kgeist ◴[18 Jun 24 13:26 UTC] No.40717594[source]▶
>other primates don’t show signs of using signs

other primates don't show signs of using vocal language either, yet humans have it

>there aren’t many or any purely sign languages still around

we're the only species of modern humans who survived, maybe Neanderthals/Denisovans etc. used sign language, who knows

maybe the fact that we started using vocal language made us much more superior evolutionarily speaking, making other similar species without developed vocal tracts extinct (by our warfare/assimilation)

deaf/mute people around the world have always historically come up with ways to talk using signs (different unrelated systems), i.e. we still have the means to do it, but it's unnecessary when you can produce sounds (freeing your hands to do work)

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4. davidmnoll ◴[18 Jun 24 23:11 UTC] No.40723064{3}[source]▶
Yes these are the arguments in support of the idea. I’m not going to dismiss the idea completely but it’s not at the top of the list of likelihood imo