# Investigating the role of the left inferior frontal gyrus in language evolution: insights from comparative neuroscience

## TL;DR

This paper explores how the left inferior frontal gyrus evolved to support human language through changes in brain structure and function.

## Contribution

The paper proposes that human language evolved through repurposing and optimizing pre-existing brain circuits rather than new areas.

## Key findings

- Human-specific changes include vocal neuron specialization and volumetric expansion in the left inferior frontal gyrus.
- Strengthened connectivity of the arcuate fasciculus supports language through the left inferior frontal gyrus.
- Lesion studies reveal neurobiological constraints on language acquisition in humans.

## Abstract

The evolutionary adaptation of the left inferior frontal gyrus is considered a crucial neural specialization supporting the emergence of human language. As a central node in the language network, it is linked to the temporoparietal cortex via both the ventral and dorsal pathways. These connections enable humans to combine a limited set of vocal elements into infinitely diverse, hierarchically structured sequences. Although homologous brain structures are also present in non-human primates, language remains a uniquely human faculty. This review synthesizes anatomical, functional, and connectivity evidence across species to trace the evolution of the left inferior frontal gyrus in support of language. We argue that language did not emerge from novel cortical areas, but through the gradual repurposing, expansion, and optimization of pre-existing fronto-temporal circuits. Human-specific innovations include vocal neuron specialization, volumetric expansion, strengthened connectivity of the arcuate fasciculus, and a functional shift within the left inferior frontal gyrus from motor control to syntactic processing. Finally, we discuss how lesion studies contribute to our understanding of the brain’s potential for language acquisition and its neurobiological constraints.