Language

A bold new study published in PNAS Nexus argues that human language evolution was driven not merely by the need to survive, but by something more playful: wit. Linguist Ljiljana Progovac of Wayne State University proposes that quick-wittedness — the ability to combine words in clever, funny ways — was actively selected for through sexual selection. Our ancestors may have joked their way into complex language. The Wit-as-Fitness Hypothesis Progovac's study challenges two dominant narratives in human evolution: "survival of the fittest" (physical strength) and "survival of the friendliest" (prosociality). While both played a role, neither captures what makes humans unique. As she writes, "selection for quick-wittedness... needs to be added to the complex picture of human evolution." This logic