How quirk of primate evolution gave humans the voice apes lack

The ability to speak may be underpinned by evolutionary changes in the voice box.

The researchers said that an examination of the voice box in 43 species of primate showed that humans are different from apes and monkeys in that they don't have the same vocal cords.

Some apes and monkeys have balloon-like laryngeal structures called air sacs that they can use to make loud calls and avoid hyperventilating.

The loss of these tissues resulted in a stable vocal source that was critical to the evolution of speech.

They said that the simplification of the larynx allowed humans to have good pitch control.

According to the research published in the journal Science, the more complicated vocal structures in nonhuman primate can make it hard to control vibrations with precision.

Artificial intelligence might be able to help us talk to animals.

The co-author of the study said that voice breaks and vocal irregularity are more common in other primate's than in humans.

A hollow tube in the throat that is connected to the top of the windpipe is used to talk, breathe and swallow.

The signal we use to sing and speak is created by the larynx.

Humans and apes are primate. After the split from the one that led to our closest living relatives, Chimpanzees, the laryngeal changes began.

The soft tissues of living species are not suitable for preservation in fossils. It's unclear when the changes happened.

It is possible that the laryngeal simplification arose in a human forerunner called Australopithecus, which combined ape-like and human-like characteristics, and first appeared in Africa around 3.85 million years ago. The origin of Homo sapiens is more than 300,000 years old.

Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and gibbons, as well as Old World monkeys including macaques, guenons, Baboons and mandrills, were studied by the researchers.

The simplification of the larynx was important, but it was not the sole cause of speech.

The sound production mechanisms in people and nonhuman primate are the same. The acoustic energy that comes from this way is governed by the specific frequencies dictated by the vocal tracts.

According to a commentary written by a primatologist and psychologist, speech and language are not synonymous.

Humans, alone among the primate, can produce speech.

The complexity of human spoken language went up.

Sometimes in evolution, you might open the door to some new adaptation if you lose a trait.