( ( ( The time ) ( when ( ( ( humans and ) apes ) ( first ( started ( to diverge ) ) ) ) ) ) ( ( may ( ( ( ( ( be ( as recent ) ) ( ( ( as ( five million ) ) years ) ago ) ) , ) hardly ) ( ( a ( long period ) ) ( in ( which ( to ( have ( ( evolved ( our ( astonishing capacity ) ) ) ( ( ( to learn ) and ) ( to ( store words ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) )
(ROOT (S (NP (NP (DT The) (NN time)) (SBAR (WHADVP (WRB when)) (S (NP (NNS humans) (CC and) (NNS apes)) (ADVP (RB first)) (VP (VBD started) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB diverge)))))))) (VP (MD may) (VP (VB be) (ADJP (RB as) (JJ recent)) (ADVP (NP (QP (RB as) (CD five) (CD million)) (NNS years)) (RB ago)) (, ,) (ADVP (RB hardly)) (S (NP (NP (DT a) (JJ long) (NN period)) (PP (IN in) (SBAR (WHNP (WDT which)) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB have) (VP (VBN evolved) (NP (PRP$ our) (JJ astonishing) (NN capacity)) (S (VP (VP (TO to) (VP (VB learn))) (CC and) (VP (TO to) (VP (VB store) (NP (NNS words)))))))))))))))) (. .)))
The time when humans and apes first started to diverge may be as recent as five million years ago, hardly a long period in which to have evolved our astonishing capacity to learn and to store words.
(ROOT (S (NP (DT The) (JJ first) (VBG living) (NNS cells)) (VP (MD may) (VP (VB have) (VP (VBN evolved) (ADVP (NP (QP (RB around) (CD 4) (CD billion)) (NNS years)) (RB ago))))) (. .)))