Madeleine Beekman, Professor Emerita of Evolutionary Biology and Behavioral Ecology, explains when and why humans first began to speak — arguing that language likely emerged around 150–200,000 years ago because our babies are born extremely helpless and require long-term, cooperative care. That need to work together pushed our ancestors to develop clear, precise communication, and children’s flexible, learning-ready brains helped shape the structure of language as it spread.