The evolution of communication: scientists explain how humans developed the ability to communicate, as seen through the eyes of primates.

Humans and primates possess an astonishing ability to navigate complex social networks, utilizing what researchers refer to as "social knowledge" to interpret and track relationships within their communities. This capability enables us to understand the dynamics of phenomena such as friendship, conflicts, and alliances. Recently, scientists conducted a study that revealed new insights into the connection between vision and the evolution of languages, as reported by The Conversation.

Unlike primates, whose communication is limited to immediate needs such as danger signals or food, humans have the ability to link actions with specific agents and patients, for instance — "who did what to whom" in their expressions. This universal linguistic phenomenon defines agent priorities across all known languages, reflecting a deep cognitive predisposition in humans.

A recent study published in PLOS Biology sought to determine whether this cognitive structure exists prior to the emergence of language itself. Utilizing eye-tracking infrared technology, researchers observed adults, infants, and great apes (chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans) as they watched videos of social and non-social interactions. They found that adults and apes could quickly identify agents in non-social scenarios, particularly those involving food. In contrast, infants showed less focus, often concentrating on the background, indicating differences in the development of visual perception.

One of the surprising findings was the lack of agent priority in social interactions, possibly due to the dynamic nature of video stimuli, as opposed to static images, says the study's author, Vanessa Wilson, a psychology lecturer at the University of Hull. However, scenes related to food consistently drew attention to agents, highlighting their evolutionary significance for survival.

The gaze patterns of apes closely resemble those of adults, indicating shared mechanisms of perception and event processing across species, noted Wilson. This common tendency to identify agents and patients in social scenarios may have provided the cognitive foundation for the evolution of language. However, the absence of event-related communication in primates remains an unresolved mystery in science. Researchers suggest that the social complexity of primate and human communities played a crucial role in the development of these cognitive abilities.

Studies of primate behavior have shown that their social networks are complex, incorporating hierarchy and conflict resolution, yet their communication lacks syntax and grammar. Understanding these cognitive nuances not only enriches humanity's knowledge in the field of evolutionary biology but also emphasizes the unique trajectory that led humans to develop language as a tool for navigating their intricate social world.

Additionally, there is the matter of the most kind and simple language in the world. In 2001, Sonia Lang, a Canadian linguist, created a super-simple language consisting of only 120 words. Although the word count has now increased to 137, Toki Pona still remains the simplest of all known languages.