The idea a language should grow simpler if people need to learn it as adults has an intuitive appeal. But an analysis of more than 1,200 languages shows this doesn’t quite stack up.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology focuses on matters regarding the origins of humankind. The Institute’s researchers study widely-differing aspects of human evolution. They analyse the genes, cultures and cognitive abilities of people living today and compare them with those of apes and extinct peoples. Scientists from various disciplines work closely together at the Institute: Geneticists trace the genetic make-up of extinct species, such as Neanderthals. Behaviourists and ecologists, for their part, study the behaviour of apes and other mammals.
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Ancient DNA from Ukraine uncovers the earliest evidence of the arrival of the ‘steppe ancestry’ – the last piece of the modern Western European genetic puzzle.
Ancient microbes likely produced natural products their descendants today do not. Tapping into this lost chemical diversity could offer a potential source of new drugs.
A new, extensive database of language grammars from around the world indicates an alarming trend of global language loss.
Ancient DNA from Neanderthal fossils in southern Siberia reveals a small community with close family ties – including a father and his teenage daughter.
Some scientists believe the ‘free energy principle’ can explain the behaviour of all living things – but others say it paints the world with too broad a brush to be useful.
Genetic analysis of intact blocks of sediment from archaeological sites reveals that microscopic fragments of fossil bone and faeces are the main sources of ancient DNA.
Our research has also uncovered major long-term changes in ancient animal populations at Denisova Cave, and has provided the first direct evidence of Homo sapiens having lived there.
Scientists have long believed that sharks were the first vertebrates to evolve teeth. Our new study reveals a more complex history.
New research shows that children as young as six have the social skills necessary to cooperate and sustain a shared resource.
New, fascinating observations about the behaviour of wild chimpanzees showed that they can apply a complex technique to access honey.
Realizing that others’ minds hold different thoughts, feelings and knowledge than your own was thought to be something only people could do. But evidence is accumulating that apes, too, have ‘theory of mind.’
Ever since the Neandertal (Homo neanderthalensis) type fossil was discovered in the Neander Valley of Germany in 1856, the species has been variously portrayed as knuckle-dragging cavemen and primitive…
Authors
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Postdoctoral Researcher in Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Postdoctoral research associate, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Postdoctoral research fellow, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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PhD Student, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Postdoctoral researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Postdoctoral research associate, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Group Leader, Advanced DNA Sequencing Techniques Group, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Doctoral Researcher, Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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PhD Student, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Senior Archaeologist, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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Guest Researcher, Philosophy, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
