The Stone Age lasted about a. 3 million years b. 30,000 years c. 3000 years
The earliest tools were likely built by a. humans b. Neanderthals c. Australopithecus
The Stone Age ended when a. humans learned how to control fire b. the Neanderthals went extinct c. humans learned how to forge metal
Discussion/essay questions
Our relatives, the Neanderthals and Denisovans, died out tens of thousands of years ago. What do you think the world would look like if they had survived longer? Do you think we would be able to coexist? Why or why not?
Transcript
The Stone Age was a prehistoric era when humans and human-like species began to build and use stone tools. It lasted about 3 million years. Archaeologists divide the Stone Age into three periods: the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic. The earliest tools were sharp flakes and hammerstones, which may have been built by the human ancestor Australopithecus at the beginning of the Paleolithic era. Early humans and their relatives, the Neanderthals and Denisovans, used tools made of stone, bones, and antlers to cut meat and make clothing. They even carved sculptures out of stone. By the Neolithic period, humans had developed axes. They used these to build more permanent shelters, which evolved into farms and villages. Beginning around 3000 BC, humans learned how to forge metal, ending the Stone Age and starting the Bronze Age.
Shared languages are common between a. mothers and their children b. twins c. childhood friends
A language that only one or two people know is called an a. idiosyncrasy b. idioglossia c. idiotype
Most of the time, invented languages a. go away when children mature b. blend with a child’s first language c. can be understood by a child’s parents
Discussion/essay questions
Some people believe that even adult twins can communicate with each other in a way that others can’t understand. Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
Different from an idioglossia, an idiolect is a single person’s unique use of language. Everyone has an idiolect, even if they speak a common language. What are some ways that two speakers of the same language might use it differently?
Transcript
In early childhood, many siblings, especially twins, create shared languages that no one else can understand. A language known by only one or two people is called an idioglossia. These languages can have invented words, gestures, and sounds that communicate basic ideas. Children often create idioglossias early in their development, as they begin to understand how languages work. It is common in twins because they experience these stages of development at the same time, and they learn by imitating each other. Most of the time, invented languages go away as children mature. It is rare for a pair of twins to keep their shared language through adulthood.
