Giacomo Rizzolatti and Michael A. Arbib explore the concept of mirror neurons, which are neurons in the rostral part of the ventral premotor cortex (area F5) in monkeys that fire both when the monkey performs an action and when it observes a similar action. These neurons form a system that matches observed events to internally generated actions, bridging the gap between the observer and the actor. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and positron emission tomography (PET) studies suggest that a similar mirror system exists in humans, including Broca's area. The authors propose that this observation-execution matching system is crucial for communication, linking the sender and receiver of messages. They argue that the development of language may have been a consequence of this mechanism, evolving from a basic capacity for action recognition to more complex forms of communication. The review discusses the potential role of mirror neurons in the evolution of speech and the development of intentional communication in primates.Giacomo Rizzolatti and Michael A. Arbib explore the concept of mirror neurons, which are neurons in the rostral part of the ventral premotor cortex (area F5) in monkeys that fire both when the monkey performs an action and when it observes a similar action. These neurons form a system that matches observed events to internally generated actions, bridging the gap between the observer and the actor. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and positron emission tomography (PET) studies suggest that a similar mirror system exists in humans, including Broca's area. The authors propose that this observation-execution matching system is crucial for communication, linking the sender and receiver of messages. They argue that the development of language may have been a consequence of this mechanism, evolving from a basic capacity for action recognition to more complex forms of communication. The review discusses the potential role of mirror neurons in the evolution of speech and the development of intentional communication in primates.