The Neanderthal hyoid bone
Its similarity to those of modern humans was seen as evidence by some scientists that Neanderthals possessed a modern vocal tract and were therefore capable of fully modern speech.
Do Neanderthals talk?
Humans were thought to have spoken language unlike any other species on Earth. ... But now, scientists think another species of human, the Neanderthal, had the ability to hear and produce speech just like us.
What evidence is there for Neanderthal language abilities?
An analysis of a Neanderthal's fossilised hyoid bone - a horseshoe-shaped structure in the neck - suggests the species had the ability to speak. This has been suspected since the 1989 discovery of a Neanderthal hyoid that looks just like a modern human's.
