Researchers published a study in Science that looked for brain differences that explain why some mammals control their voices. The work was led by Emory University and New College of Florida and focused on seals and sea lions.
The team compared brains from coyotes with brains from three pinniped species: California sea lions, harbor seals and northern elephant seals. They used diffusion MRI, a brain scan method, on postmortem brains to map pathways linked to vocal control.
The main finding was that pinnipeds have a direct pathway from the vocal motor cortex to the brainstem, bypassing the mid-brain. This bypass can give conscious control of the voice box and may allow vocal learning. The researchers plan similar studies in whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Difficult words
- pinniped — a sea mammal like seals and sea lions
- diffusion MRI — a brain scan method using water movement
- postmortem — after death, used for medical study
- pathway — a route or connection between two areaspathways
- cortex — part of the brain involved in movement controlvocal motor cortex
- bypass — a route that avoids a normal areabypassing
- vocal learning — the ability to learn new sounds or speech
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which of the animals mentioned would you like researchers to study next? Why?
- How could conscious control of the voice box help an animal?
- Have you heard a seal or sea lion make sounds? Describe the sound.
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