02330cam a2200289 i 4500 2426074510 TxAuBib 20250813120000.0 250806s2025||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 9781668066058 HRD 29.99 166806605X HRD 29.99 TxAuBib rda Beekman, Madeleine. The origin of language [BOOK] : how we learned to speak and why / Madeleine Beekman. First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition. New York : Simon & Schuster, 2025. viii, 308 pages ; 22 cm. txt rdacontent n rdamedia nc rdacarrier Includes bibliographical references (pages 271-296) and index. "In a radical new story about the birth of our species, the author argues that it was not hunting, fighting, or tool-making that forced early humans to speak, but the inescapable need to care for our children. Journeying to the dawn of Homo sapiens, evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman reveals the "happy accidents" hidden in our molecular biology--DNA, chromosomes, and proteins--that led to one of the most fateful events in the history of life on Earth: our giving birth to babies earlier in their development than our hominid cousins the Neanderthals and Denisovans. Faced with highly dependent infants requiring years of nurturing and protection, early human communities needed to cooperate and coordinate, and it was this unprecedented need for communication that triggered the creation of human language--and changed everything. Infused with cutting-edge science, sharp humor, and insights into the history of biology and its luminaries, Beekman weaves a narrative that's both enlightening and entertaining. Challenging the traditional theories of male luminaries like Chomksy, Pinker, and Harari, she invites us into the intricate world of molecular biology and its ancient secrets. This is a tour de force by a brilliant biologist on how a culture of cooperation and care have shaped our existence.". 20250813. Language and languages Origin. Historical linguistics. Human evolution.