[ad_1]
In a new study by The Royal Society, scientists have found that many mammals use sounds that don’t match their body size. For example, dolphins’ vocal patterns sound much higher than would be expected for an animal of their larger size. However, red Deer produce vocal patterns that are much lower than would be expected for their smaller size.
Several calls have also created a new defining characteristic for whether a species is a vocal learner: species that signal higher vocalizations relative to their size are most likely to evolve linguistically.
These inconsistencies contribute to the study of human linguistics, as well as the study of animals and vocal learning. By determining why animals change their voices, scientists can help establish our own language history and understand the evolution of highly communicative animal species.
Vocal learning is the process that animals go through as they mirror each other’s communication styles and learn to communicate with their voices. birds are one of the most common animals known for vocal learning.
For example, wrens and goldfinches have songs that are similar in tone. Research suggests this is because one bird first developed a vocal communication style. The other began to mimic it. As natural selection ran its course, the communication styles of the two species fused and the birds that could communicate were the ones that survived.
The same is happening with dolphins, according to the new study from The Royal Society. Dolphins that can hit higher notes are the ones that are more adept at communication. Communication is the key to survival.
This study is important because it shows the difference in vocal learning between animals, such as dolphins, which develop linguistically, and animals, such as red deer, that use unfair cues.
Red deer use unfair cues when using vocalizations that make them sound bigger than they actually are. Why are they doing this? For reproductive purposes. A larger deer is more likely to mate and reproduce, so resoundingly larger prizes are good for their survival.
Unfair signaling has also been observed in non-venomous frogs. Non-venomous frogs sometimes mimic the sounds of others poisonous amphibians to discourage a potential predator. Again, this kind of dishonest signaling is a survival tactic.
The difference between red deer and non-venomous frogs compared to dolphins is their use of vocalizations. Dolphins are a vocal species that eventually uses its song to communicate linguistically, just like humans.
Red deer and frogs communicate solely for survival.
By distinguishing between species that are vocal learners and species that only vocalize, scientists can better understand how animals communicate, their linguistic development and our own linguistic evolution.
Scientists can also create a framework for determining which species may eventually develop linguistically through vocal learning by listening to their calls. For example, manatees have developed much higher notes, but have never shown any signs of vocal learning. Could manatees be next on Mother Nature’s list of linguistically inclined creatures?
[ad_2]
Source link