Long arcuate fascicle in wild and captive chimpanzees as a potential structural precursor of the language network

Yannick Becker; Cornelius Eichner; Michael Paquette; Christian Bock; Cédric Girard-Buttoz; Carsten Jäger; Tobias Gräßle; Tobias Deschner; EBC Consortium; Philipp Gunz; Roman M. Wittig; Catherine Crockford; Angela D. Friederici; Alfred Anwander

doi:10.1038/s41467-025-59254-8

Long arcuate fascicle in wild and captive chimpanzees as a potential structural precursor of the language network

Yannick Becker^*, Cornelius Eichner, Michael Paquette, Christian Bock, Cédric Girard-Buttoz, Carsten Jäger, Tobias Gräßle, Tobias Deschner, EBC Consortium, Philipp Gunz, Roman M. Wittig, Catherine Crockford, Angela D. Friederici, Alfred Anwander

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The arcuate fascicle (AF) is the main fibre tract in the brain for human language. It connects frontal and temporal language areas in the superior and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). The AF’s connection to the MTG was considered unique to humans and has influenced theories of the evolution of language. Here, using high-resolution diffusion MRI of post-mortem brains, we demonstrate that both wild and captive chimpanzees have a direct AF connection into the MTG, albeit weaker than in humans. This finding challenges the notion of a strictly human-specific AF morphology and suggests that language-related neural specialisation in humans likely evolved through gradual evolutionary strengthening of a pre-existing connection, rather than arising de novo. It is likely that this neural architecture supporting complex communication was already present in the last common ancestor of hominins and chimpanzees 7 million years ago, enabling the evolution of language processes in the human lineage.

Original language	English
Article number	4485
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59254-8
Publication status	Published - 15 May 2025

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Becker, Y., Eichner, C., Paquette, M., Bock, C., Girard-Buttoz, C., Jäger, C., Gräßle, T., Deschner, T., EBC Consortium, Gunz, P., Wittig, R. M., Crockford, C., Friederici, A. D., & Anwander, A. (2025). Long arcuate fascicle in wild and captive chimpanzees as a potential structural precursor of the language network. Nature Communications, 16, Article 4485. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59254-8

@article{9081c706c0f141ce97b77cd75f229b44,

title = "Long arcuate fascicle in wild and captive chimpanzees as a potential structural precursor of the language network",

abstract = "The arcuate fascicle (AF) is the main fibre tract in the brain for human language. It connects frontal and temporal language areas in the superior and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). The AF{\textquoteright}s connection to the MTG was considered unique to humans and has influenced theories of the evolution of language. Here, using high-resolution diffusion MRI of post-mortem brains, we demonstrate that both wild and captive chimpanzees have a direct AF connection into the MTG, albeit weaker than in humans. This finding challenges the notion of a strictly human-specific AF morphology and suggests that language-related neural specialisation in humans likely evolved through gradual evolutionary strengthening of a pre-existing connection, rather than arising de novo. It is likely that this neural architecture supporting complex communication was already present in the last common ancestor of hominins and chimpanzees 7 million years ago, enabling the evolution of language processes in the human lineage.",

author = "Yannick Becker and Cornelius Eichner and Michael Paquette and Christian Bock and C{\'e}dric Girard-Buttoz and Carsten J{\"a}ger and Tobias Gr{\"a}{\ss}le and Tobias Deschner and \{EBC Consortium\} and Klaus Zuberb{\"u}hler and Kim Wood and Gudrun Wibbelt and Nikolaus Weiskopf and Sue Walker and Steve Unwin and Reiner Ulrich and Tanguy Tanga and Szentiks, \{Claudia A.\} and Lara Southern and Stidworthy, \{Mark F.\} and Jonas Steiner and Forero, \{Alejandra Romero\} and Jessica Rendel and Kamilla Pl{\'e}h and Andrea Pizarro and Simone Pika and Karin Olofsson-Sann{\"o} and Markus Morawski and Torsten M{\o}ller and Sophie Moitti{\'e} and Zoltan Mez{\"o} and Matthew McLennan and Richard McElreath and Kerstin M{\"a}tz-Rensing and Patrice Makouloutou-Nzassi and Matyas Liptovszky and Leendertz, \{Fabian H.\} and Kathrin Kopp and Evgeniya Kirilina and Daniel Haun and Daniel Hanus and Susan Hambrech and Jaffe, \{Jennifer E.\} and \{Gone Bi\}, \{Zoro Bertain\} and Karina Flores and Pawel Fedurek and Julian Chantrey and Martina Bleyer and Daniel Aschoff and Caroline Asiimwe and Bala Amaresekaran and Philipp Gunz and Wittig, \{Roman M.\} and Catherine Crockford and Friederici, \{Angela D.\} and Alfred Anwander",

note = "Funding: The authors are thankful for the permissions granted for research and brain extraction in various regions: Sierra Leone{\textquoteright}s Environmental Protection Agency; the Minist{\`e}re de l{\textquoteright}Enseignement Sup{\'e}rieur et de la Recherche Scientifique and the Minist{\`e}re de Eaux et F{\^o}rets in C{\^o}te d{\textquoteright}Ivoire, along with the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et R{\'e}serves; in Gabon, the Minist{\`e}re des Eaux, des For{\^e}ts, de la Mer, de l{\textquoteright}Environnement, the Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, the Research Institute for Tropical Ecology, and the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research; and in Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Ugandan National Council for Science and Technology. Our appreciation also goes to the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en C{\^o}te d{\textquoteright}Ivoire for their logistical support, the staff members of the Ta{\"i} Chimpanzee Project for their invaluable assistance in data collection, and to Christophe Boesch for his exceptional dedication to establishing and nurturing the Ta{\"i} Chimpanzee Project for 30 years. We express our gratitude to all members of EAZA, PASA, and field site partners who collaborated with us on the Evolution of Brain Connectivity (EBC) project. Special acknowledgment to Christina Kompo for her adept management of import and export permits and shipping logistics. This study received funding from the Max Planck Society under the inter-institutional funds of the president of the Max Planck Society for the EBC project. Y.B. received funding from the Fondation Fyssen.",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-025-59254-8",

language = "English",

volume = "16",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Research",

}

Becker, Y, Eichner, C, Paquette, M, Bock, C, Girard-Buttoz, C, Jäger, C, Gräßle, T, Deschner, T, EBC Consortium, Gunz, P, Wittig, RM, Crockford, C, Friederici, AD & Anwander, A 2025, 'Long arcuate fascicle in wild and captive chimpanzees as a potential structural precursor of the language network', Nature Communications, vol. 16, 4485. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59254-8

TY - JOUR

T1 - Long arcuate fascicle in wild and captive chimpanzees as a potential structural precursor of the language network

AU - Becker, Yannick

AU - Eichner, Cornelius

AU - Paquette, Michael

AU - Bock, Christian

AU - Girard-Buttoz, Cédric

AU - Jäger, Carsten

AU - Gräßle, Tobias

AU - Deschner, Tobias

AU - EBC Consortium

AU - Zuberbühler, Klaus

AU - Wood, Kim

AU - Wibbelt, Gudrun

AU - Weiskopf, Nikolaus

AU - Walker, Sue

AU - Unwin, Steve

AU - Ulrich, Reiner

AU - Tanga, Tanguy

AU - Szentiks, Claudia A.

AU - Southern, Lara

AU - Stidworthy, Mark F.

AU - Steiner, Jonas

AU - Forero, Alejandra Romero

AU - Rendel, Jessica

AU - Pléh, Kamilla

AU - Pizarro, Andrea

AU - Pika, Simone

AU - Olofsson-Sannö, Karin

AU - Morawski, Markus

AU - Møller, Torsten

AU - Moittié, Sophie

AU - Mezö, Zoltan

AU - McLennan, Matthew

AU - McElreath, Richard

AU - Mätz-Rensing, Kerstin

AU - Makouloutou-Nzassi, Patrice

AU - Liptovszky, Matyas

AU - Leendertz, Fabian H.

AU - Kopp, Kathrin

AU - Kirilina, Evgeniya

AU - Haun, Daniel

AU - Hanus, Daniel

AU - Hambrech, Susan

AU - Jaffe, Jennifer E.

AU - Gone Bi, Zoro Bertain

AU - Flores, Karina

AU - Fedurek, Pawel

AU - Chantrey, Julian

AU - Bleyer, Martina

AU - Aschoff, Daniel

AU - Asiimwe, Caroline

AU - Amaresekaran, Bala

AU - Gunz, Philipp

AU - Wittig, Roman M.

AU - Crockford, Catherine

AU - Friederici, Angela D.

AU - Anwander, Alfred

N1 - Funding: The authors are thankful for the permissions granted for research and brain extraction in various regions: Sierra Leone’s Environmental Protection Agency; the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique and the Ministère de Eaux et Fôrets in Côte d’Ivoire, along with the Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves; in Gabon, the Ministère des Eaux, des Forêts, de la Mer, de l’Environnement, the Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, the Research Institute for Tropical Ecology, and the National Center for Scientific and Technological Research; and in Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Ugandan National Council for Science and Technology. Our appreciation also goes to the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire for their logistical support, the staff members of the Taï Chimpanzee Project for their invaluable assistance in data collection, and to Christophe Boesch for his exceptional dedication to establishing and nurturing the Taï Chimpanzee Project for 30 years. We express our gratitude to all members of EAZA, PASA, and field site partners who collaborated with us on the Evolution of Brain Connectivity (EBC) project. Special acknowledgment to Christina Kompo for her adept management of import and export permits and shipping logistics. This study received funding from the Max Planck Society under the inter-institutional funds of the president of the Max Planck Society for the EBC project. Y.B. received funding from the Fondation Fyssen.

PY - 2025/5/15

Y1 - 2025/5/15

N2 - The arcuate fascicle (AF) is the main fibre tract in the brain for human language. It connects frontal and temporal language areas in the superior and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). The AF’s connection to the MTG was considered unique to humans and has influenced theories of the evolution of language. Here, using high-resolution diffusion MRI of post-mortem brains, we demonstrate that both wild and captive chimpanzees have a direct AF connection into the MTG, albeit weaker than in humans. This finding challenges the notion of a strictly human-specific AF morphology and suggests that language-related neural specialisation in humans likely evolved through gradual evolutionary strengthening of a pre-existing connection, rather than arising de novo. It is likely that this neural architecture supporting complex communication was already present in the last common ancestor of hominins and chimpanzees 7 million years ago, enabling the evolution of language processes in the human lineage.

AB - The arcuate fascicle (AF) is the main fibre tract in the brain for human language. It connects frontal and temporal language areas in the superior and middle temporal gyrus (MTG). The AF’s connection to the MTG was considered unique to humans and has influenced theories of the evolution of language. Here, using high-resolution diffusion MRI of post-mortem brains, we demonstrate that both wild and captive chimpanzees have a direct AF connection into the MTG, albeit weaker than in humans. This finding challenges the notion of a strictly human-specific AF morphology and suggests that language-related neural specialisation in humans likely evolved through gradual evolutionary strengthening of a pre-existing connection, rather than arising de novo. It is likely that this neural architecture supporting complex communication was already present in the last common ancestor of hominins and chimpanzees 7 million years ago, enabling the evolution of language processes in the human lineage.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105005416731

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-025-59254-8

DO - 10.1038/s41467-025-59254-8

M3 - Article

C2 - 40374618

AN - SCOPUS:105005416731

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 16

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 4485

ER -

Long arcuate fascicle in wild and captive chimpanzees as a potential structural precursor of the language network

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