A new study suggests our larynx evolved to have much simpler vocal anatomy than that of our ancestors, allowing humans to produce stable, even-toned, and comprehensible speech instead of the rough, warbling vocalizations of other primates.
When it comes to the plumbing required to produce human speech, less is more. A new study suggests our larynx evolved to have much simpler vocal anatomy than that of our ancestors. These simplifications may have allowed our species to produce stable, even-toned, and comprehensible speech instead of the rough, warbling vocalizations of other primates.
Mammals vocalize by forcing air through their larynges, which causes folds of tissue to oscillate and produce a wide repertoire of sounds. In humans, a twin pair of such folds known as the vocal cords is responsible for creating these sounds. The vocal tracts of nonhuman primates, meanwhile, hold an additional feature: thin flaps known as vocal membranes, or vocal lips, often found near or connected to the vocal folds.
He and colleagues started with dead chimpanzees donated by local zoos. They hooked up three larynges that had been removed from the bodies of these apes to a device that blows compressed air through the organ, simulating vocalization. High-speed footage revealed how the vocal folds and membranes vibrated in response.
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