The reading passage contends that Neanderthals were able to communicate through speech. On the other hand, the professor casts doubt on the reading’s assertion by presenting several reasons.
First of all, the lecture highlights that the size of brain is not decisive factor in enabling the species to speak. According to professor, it is complicated structure of the brain that allows people to speak and Neanderthals did not have brains as complex as those of humans. This directly rebuts the reading’s point that Neanderthals were capable of speech due to their similar brain size as that of humans.
In addition, the lecture argues that having hyoid bone does not necessarily mean the possessor can speak. While the professor approves that it enables its owners to move their tongues in a wider range, she points out that monkeys that have the same bone cannot speak. This contradicts the reading’s claim that hyoid bone located between larynx and tongue made Neanderthals capable of speech.
The final point the professor makes is that muscles developed in Neanderthals’ stomach were used for other purposes than speech function. They might have used these muscles to travel long distance or climb high mountains. In contrast, the reading asserts that these muscles helped Neanderthals to make sounds required for speaking.