Study traces how human language diversity rose and fell over the Holocene

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A new study published in Science examines how linguistic diversity among human populations changed across the Holocene epoch, spanning roughly the last 12,000 years. Researchers analyzed patterns in the rise and decline of languages over this period. The findings shed light on the forces that drove communities to develop distinct languages or converge toward fewer tongues. The research contributes to a broader understanding of how environmental, demographic, and cultural factors shaped human communication over millennia.

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