Monkey experiments hint at origin of language

PARIS - Green and vervet monkeys live on either side of Africa and their evolutionary paths diverged 3.5 million years ago, and yet the two species share a hard-wired vocabulary when faced with danger, clever experiments have shown.

The new research, published on Monday, sheds light not only on how primates - including humans - respond to threats, but also on the building blocks of language itself.

Vervet monkeys in the savanna of east Africa utter three distinct cries depending on whether they spot a leopard, a snake or an eagle, their three main predators.