Language is the most human form of behavior, and the investigation of the ways language and culture interact is one of the most important aspects of the study of human beings. The most fascinating problem in this study is how language itself may have evolved as the result of the interaction between biological and cultural development of the human species. In this course we will consider the development of the brain, the relationship between early hominins, including Neanderthals and Modern Humans, and such questions as the role of gossip and music in the development of language.