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            The human body seems to have
been designed for producing language.
The mouth is relatively small and can be
opened and closed rapidly, and the
flexible tongue can be used to shape a
wide variety of sounds. The teeth are
upright, not slanting outwards like those
of apes, and they are roughly even in
height. Such characteristics are not
needed for eating but are extremely
helpful in pronouncing sounds such as f,
v and th. The lips have much more
intricate muscles than those of other
primates, and their flexibility helps with
sounds like p, b and w.
            Many scholars have studied how
the development of language is related
to the evolutionary development of the
human species. One evolutionary step
may have resulted in the development of
a vocal tract capable of producing the
wide variety of sounds utilized by
human language. The assumption of an
upright posture moved the head forward
and the larynx, or “voice box,” lower.
This created a longer cavity above the
vocal chords, which acted as a resonator
for any sounds produced by the larynx.
            Another evolutionary step may
have been development of a mechanism
for perceiving and distinguishing
sounds. However, the ability to hear
speech sounds is not a necessary
condition for the acquisition and use of
language. Humans who are born deaf
learn the sign languages that are used
around them. Still, all languages,
including sign language, require the
organizing and combining of sounds or
signs in specific constructions.
            The human brain has specialized
functions in each of its two hemispheres.
Those functions which are analytic, such
as tool-using and language, are largely
confined to the left hemisphere of the
brain. It may be that there is an
evolutionary connection between
the tool-using and language-using
abilities of humans, and that both are
related to the development of the brain.