Language Started in Africa?

One of the items I teach in World History is that man started in Africa and moved outwards.  Well, while it is controversial, one mathematician looked at the world's languages and "founds that languages tend to be less diverse, with fewer phonetic sounds" the farther one gets from Africa with those in Hawaii having the least.  There is more to it in the article, but basically the author contends that this is further proof of our African roots.