A new study has stated that the ancestral language of Africans is the mother of all 6000 languages of the world. This study which was published in detail in the journal Science, explained the derivation of modern languages and their spread in detail.

The study authored by Quentin Atkinson, suggested that the people who first migrated from Africa carried this language with them and consequently laid the foundation for all cultures of the world.

“It was the catalyst that spurred the human expansion that we all are a product of,” Dr. Atkinson said.

There is a general notion that around 50,000 years ago, marked changes in behavior of human beings were noticed. They started developing more refined tools. It has been suggested by many experts that this creative change was caused by the innovation of complex language that time. The language enabled human beings in creative and abstract thinking. The study by Mr. Atkinson also maintains this notion.

Mr.Atkinson’s study is based on phonemes and “the founder effect”. This principle suggests that when a small group gets separated from huge population, complexity and genetic variation fade away gradually.

Dr.Atkinson analysed around 500 languages of the world and stated that there are the maximum phonemes in dialects of Africa while fewest in dialects of South America.

He further added that the pattern of phonemes which exists globally reflects the pattern of genetic diversity of human beings. When colonies were established by human beings, genetic diversity also declined gradually.

Regarding the origin of modern human beings, there is another prevailing idea called as “out of Africa”. According to this hypothesis, there was an emergence of modern human beings in Africa around 200,000 years ago. Some humans migrated from Africa around 50,000 years ago and established their colonies in rest part of the world. This way they became ancestors of non-African people. There is a similarity in this prevailing theory and findings by Dr. Atkinson.

Some other theories have also been conducted regarding this topic. Every theory provides findings according to its own assumptions. There are also some limitations associated to these theories.

Mr.Atkinson’s study has also its limits. Genetic variation occurs quite slowly because genes take much time to change. But phonemes can change very fast. If a particular distance from Africa can elaborate around 85% of genetic variation; similar distance would be able to measure only 19% of phonemic variation. ‘But measure is still significant’, says Mr.Atkinson.