Latest news with #JacobDunn
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Monkeys are "best yodellers" in the world, study says
The world's best yodellers aren't found high in the pristine mountaintops of the Alps – instead, scientists say, they can be found in trees, jungles and rainforests across the globe. It's because the world's best yodellers are monkeys, a study published this week in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B found. Once thought to be the exclusive domain of humans, researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in England and the University of Vienna in Austria recorded and studied the calls of various monkeys at La Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary in Bolivia. Primates studied included the black and gold howler monkey, tufted capuchin, black-capped squirrel monkey, and Peruvian spider monkey. Monkeys, scientists found, had a secret yodelling weapon; the primates possess special anatomical structures in their throats called vocal membranes. These membranes disappeared from humans through evolution to allow for more stable speech. These membranes allow monkeys to introduce "voice breaks" to their calls at the same rapid transitions in frequency heard in yodelling but at much higher octaves than humans. They learned that the primates use these yodels to differentiate themselves and communicate with others, much like humans who used the high, low and deep-throated pitches in rural mountain ranges as a form of communication. "These results show how monkeys take advantage of an evolved feature in their larynx—the vocal membrane—which allows for a wider range of calls to be produced, including these ultra-yodels," said study senior author Jacob Dunn, associate professor in Evolutionary Biology at Anglia Ruskin University, in a statement. "This might be particularly important in primates, which have complex social lives and need to communicate in a variety of different ways," he said. New World monkeys, whose range stretches from Mexico to Argentina, were found to have evolved the largest vocal membranes of all the primates. As a result, the New World Monkeys are "ultra-yodellers," the primates can have frequency leaps up to five times larger than the frequency changes that are possible with the human voice. New World monkeys are also capable of exceeding three musical octaves. "This is a fascinating example of how nature provides the means of enriching animal vocalization, despite their lack of language," said study lead author Christian T. Herbst at the University of Vienna. Kentucky whiskey producers react to Trump tariffs From viral floor routine to national champion, first HBCU gymnast breaks barriers RFK Jr. says 20% of health agency layoffs could be mistakes
CBS News
04-04-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Monkeys are "best yodellers" in the world reaching octaves 3 times higher than humans, study says
The world's best yodellers aren't found high in the pristine mountaintops of the Alps – instead, scientists say, they can be found in trees, jungles and rainforests across the globe. It's because the world's best yodellers are monkeys, a study published this week in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B found. Once thought to be the exclusive domain of humans, researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in England and the University of Vienna in Austria recorded and studied the calls of various monkeys at La Senda Verde Wildlife Sanctuary in Bolivia. Primates studied included the black and gold howler monkey, tufted capuchin, black-capped squirrel monkey, and Peruvian spider monkey. Monkeys, scientists found, had a secret yodelling weapon; the primates possess special anatomical structures in their throats called vocal membranes. These membranes disappeared from humans through evolution to allow for more stable speech. These membranes allow monkeys to introduce "voice breaks" to their calls at the same rapid transitions in frequency heard in yodelling but at much higher octaves than humans. They learned that the primates use these yodels to differentiate themselves and communicate with others, much like humans who used the high, low and deep-throated pitches in rural mountain ranges as a form of communication. "These results show how monkeys take advantage of an evolved feature in their larynx—the vocal membrane—which allows for a wider range of calls to be produced, including these ultra-yodels," said study senior author Jacob Dunn, associate professor in Evolutionary Biology at Anglia Ruskin University, in a statement. "This might be particularly important in primates, which have complex social lives and need to communicate in a variety of different ways," he said. New World monkeys, whose range stretches from Mexico to Argentina, were found to have evolved the largest vocal membranes of all the primates. As a result, the New World Monkeys are "ultra-yodellers," the primates can have frequency leaps up to five times larger than the frequency changes that are possible with the human voice. New World monkeys are also capable of exceeding three musical octaves. "This is a fascinating example of how nature provides the means of enriching animal vocalization, despite their lack of language," said study lead author Christian T. Herbst at the University of Vienna.
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Monkeys better at yodelling than humans according to scientists
If you want to get better at singing you might think to go to a singing teacher, but it turns out that might not necessarily be the best idea.A new study suggests that when it comes to yodelling, you might be better taking notes from a is a singing style known for its quick and frequent changes between low and high-pitched study suggests that monkeys can make these speedy vocal flip-flops far better than it isn't a case of practice makes perfect, it's down to special structures in their throats instead. Scientists recorded and studied the calls of different species of monkey at a sanctuary in Bolivia in South used special scans and computer simulations as part of their study found that the structures in the throats of apes and monkeys, called vocal membranes, let them use voice breaks in their to the researchers, we once had these membranes too. But Professor Tecumseh Fitch, who is one of the authors of the study says "they may have been lost during human evolution to promote pitch stability in singing and speech". The study found that not all monkeys are equally good at found that Latin American monkeys had the largest vocal membranes of all the primates the Jacob Dunn, who is an associate professor in evolutionary biology, suggests the special structures allow the monkeys to create a wider range of said it's likely this has evolved over time and could be used for "attention grabbing" or "identifying themselves" amongst other monkeys.
