* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Sunday, August 10, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    ‘Paying homage to Kansas’: Singer-songwriter Dallas Pryor shares music journey – The Topeka Capital-Journal

    Honoring Kansas: Singer-Songwriter Dallas Pryor Shares His Inspiring Musical Journey

    Alabama expands entertainment incentives to boost state’s music and creative industries – Made in Alabama

    Alabama Supercharges Entertainment Incentives to Spark Explosive Growth in Music and Creative Industries

    Peacock’s Biggest Action Show Streams 2 New Episodes Sooner Than You Think – yahoo.com

    Peacock’s Hottest Action Show Drops 2 New Episodes Sooner Than Expected!

    Themed Entertainment Design – Purdue Polytechnic

    Innovative Themed Entertainment Design: Creating Immersive Experiences

    Rachael Leigh Cook and Brandon Routh ‘Happy to Have Found Each Other’ Following Respective Divorces – yahoo.com

    Rachael Leigh Cook and Brandon Routh ‘Happy to Have Found Each Other’ Following Respective Divorces – yahoo.com

    ‘Billie Jean’ – Hyde Park Herald

    The Enduring Magic Behind ‘Billie Jean’ Revealed

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

    United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

    Preparing Students for the Technology of Tomorrow – Drug Topics

    Preparing Students Today to Thrive in Tomorrow’s Tech-Driven World

    Technology, History, and Summer Camp at the Rhode Island Computer Museum – abc6.com

    Discover Technology, History, and Summer Camp Adventures at the Rhode Island Computer Museum

    MBU showcases student work at Occupational Therapy Technology Fair – WHSV

    Discover the Most Innovative Student Projects at the Occupational Therapy Technology Fair

    BlackSky Technology Inc. (BKSY) Reports Q2 Loss, Lags Revenue Estimates – Yahoo Finance

    BlackSky Technology Inc. Reports Q2 Loss, Misses Revenue Targets

    Improved Technology Access: A Key to Closing the Healthcare Gap for African Americans – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    ‘Paying homage to Kansas’: Singer-songwriter Dallas Pryor shares music journey – The Topeka Capital-Journal

    Honoring Kansas: Singer-Songwriter Dallas Pryor Shares His Inspiring Musical Journey

    Alabama expands entertainment incentives to boost state’s music and creative industries – Made in Alabama

    Alabama Supercharges Entertainment Incentives to Spark Explosive Growth in Music and Creative Industries

    Peacock’s Biggest Action Show Streams 2 New Episodes Sooner Than You Think – yahoo.com

    Peacock’s Hottest Action Show Drops 2 New Episodes Sooner Than Expected!

    Themed Entertainment Design – Purdue Polytechnic

    Innovative Themed Entertainment Design: Creating Immersive Experiences

    Rachael Leigh Cook and Brandon Routh ‘Happy to Have Found Each Other’ Following Respective Divorces – yahoo.com

    Rachael Leigh Cook and Brandon Routh ‘Happy to Have Found Each Other’ Following Respective Divorces – yahoo.com

    ‘Billie Jean’ – Hyde Park Herald

    The Enduring Magic Behind ‘Billie Jean’ Revealed

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

    United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

    Preparing Students for the Technology of Tomorrow – Drug Topics

    Preparing Students Today to Thrive in Tomorrow’s Tech-Driven World

    Technology, History, and Summer Camp at the Rhode Island Computer Museum – abc6.com

    Discover Technology, History, and Summer Camp Adventures at the Rhode Island Computer Museum

    MBU showcases student work at Occupational Therapy Technology Fair – WHSV

    Discover the Most Innovative Student Projects at the Occupational Therapy Technology Fair

    BlackSky Technology Inc. (BKSY) Reports Q2 Loss, Lags Revenue Estimates – Yahoo Finance

    BlackSky Technology Inc. Reports Q2 Loss, Misses Revenue Targets

    Improved Technology Access: A Key to Closing the Healthcare Gap for African Americans – BIOENGINEER.ORG

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Can we decode the language of our primate cousins?

December 19, 2023
in Science
Can we decode the language of our primate cousins?
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Can we decode the language of our primate cousins?

The UNIGE team wanted to find out whether the frontal and orbitofrontal regions of our brain activate in the same way when faced with human and simian vocalisations. Credit: Leonardo Ceravolo

A UNIGE team shows that the human brain is capable of identifying the vocalizations of certain primate species, if they are close to us and if the frequencies used are also close to our own.

Are we able to differentiate between the vocal emissions of certain primates? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) asked volunteers to categorize the vocalizations of three species of great apes (Hominidae) and humans. During each exposure to these “onomatopoeia,” brain activity was measured.

Unlike previous studies, the scientists reveal that phylogenetic proximity—or kinship—is not the only factor influencing our ability to identify these sounds. Acoustic proximity—the type of frequencies emitted—is also a determining factor.

These results show how the human brain has evolved to process the vocal emissions of some of our closest cousins more efficiently. The study has been published in Cerebral Cortex Communications.

Our ability to process verbal language is not based solely on semantics, i.e., the meaning and combination of linguistic units. Other parameters come into play, such as prosody, which includes pauses, accentuation and intonation. Affective bursts—”Aaaah!” or “Oh!” for example—are also part of this, and we share these with our primate cousins. They contribute to the meaning and understanding of our vocal communications.

When such a vocal message is emitted, these sounds are processed by the frontal and orbitofrontal regions of our brain. The function of these two areas is, among other things, to integrate sensory and contextual information leading to a decision. Are they activated in the same way when we are exposed to the emotional vocalizations of our close cousins the chimpanzees, macaques and bonobos? Are we able to differentiate between them?

MRI scans with headphones on

A UNIGE team sought to find out by exposing a group of 25 volunteers to various human and simian vocalizations. “The participants were placed in an MRI scanner and were given headphones. After a short period of familiarization with the different types of vocalizations, each participant had to categorize them, i.e., identify to which species they belonged,” explains Leonardo Ceravolo, senior lecturer at the UNIGE’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, and first author of the study.

These vocalizations were of the affiliative type, i.e., linked to a positive interaction, or of the agonistic type, i.e., linked to a threat or distress. The human vocalizations came from databases recorded by actors. The simian ones came from field recordings made as part of previous research. This study is the first of its kind to include bonobo vocalizations.

Bonobos, not so close cousins

The results show that for macaque and chimpanzee vocalizations, the frontal and orbitofrontal regions of the participants were activated in a similar way to human vocalizations. The participants were able to differentiate between them easily. On the other hand, when confronted with the “sounds” of bonobos, also close cousins of humans, the involved cerebral areas were much less activated, and categorization was at chance level.

“It was thought that kinship between species—the ‘phylogenetic distance’—was the main parameter for having the ability, or not, to recognize these different vocalizations. We thought that the closer we were genetically, the more important this ability was,” explains Didier Grandjean, full professor at the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences and at the UNIGE’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, who led the study.

“Our results show that a second parameter comes into play: acoustic distance. The further the dynamics of the acoustic parameters, such as the frequencies used, are from those of humans, the less certain frontal regions are activated. We then lose the ability to recognize these sounds, even if they are emitted by a close cousin, in this case the bonobo.”

Bonobo calls are very high-pitched and can sound like those of certain birds. This acoustic distance in terms of frequencies, compared with human vocalizations, explains our inability to decode them, despite our close phylogenetic proximity.

“Are we capable of identifying the different emotional aspects of affiliative or agonistic vocalizations emitted by a chimpanzee, a macaque or a bonobo? And if so, how? These questions will be at the heart of our next research, which will involve analyzing not only our ability to categorize vocalizations by species but to identify their emotional content,” concludes Grandjean.

More information:
Leonardo Ceravolo et al, Frontal mechanisms underlying primate calls recognition by humans, Cerebral Cortex Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgad019

Citation:
Can we decode the language of our primate cousins? (2023, December 19)
retrieved 19 December 2023
from https://phys.org/news/2023-12-decode-language-primate-cousins.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Phys.org – https://phys.org/news/2023-12-decode-language-primate-cousins.html

Tags: decodelanguagescience
Previous Post

NASA’s GUSTO prepares to map space between the stars

Next Post

The 10 best Christmas movies on Disney Plus to stream this holiday season

New filtration system to help Boat Haven meet Ecology standards – Port Townsend Leader

New filtration system to help Boat Haven meet Ecology standards – Port Townsend Leader

August 10, 2025

Kamin Science Center Is Prepared for Liftoff! – Carnegie Science Center

August 10, 2025
After 48 years at UW, Ed Lazowska reflects on computer science, education, AI, and what’s next – GeekWire

After 48 years at UW, Ed Lazowska reflects on computer science, education, AI, and what’s next – GeekWire

August 10, 2025
Outdoor lifestyle store ‘Sierra’ opening Saturday at Eastwood Mall Complex – WFMJ.com

Outdoor lifestyle store ‘Sierra’ opening Saturday at Eastwood Mall Complex – WFMJ.com

August 10, 2025
United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

United Airlines passengers in US delayed after tech glitch halts flights – BBC

August 10, 2025
Jakorian Bennett took an improbable road to the Eagles; now he gets another opportunity to overcome adversity – CBS Sports

Jakorian Bennett took an improbable road to the Eagles; now he gets another opportunity to overcome adversity – CBS Sports

August 10, 2025
As AI “Besties” rise, can we hold on to what makes us human? – Psychology Today

As AI “Besties” Become Our New Norm, Can We Still Preserve What Makes Us Truly Human?

August 9, 2025
US Economic Growth Shows Cracks – Real Investment Advice

US Economic Growth Confronts Fresh Challenges on the Horizon

August 9, 2025
‘Paying homage to Kansas’: Singer-songwriter Dallas Pryor shares music journey – The Topeka Capital-Journal

Honoring Kansas: Singer-Songwriter Dallas Pryor Shares His Inspiring Musical Journey

August 9, 2025
Excessive screen time among youth may pose heart health risks – www.heart.org

Too Much Screen Time in Youth Could Harm Heart Health

August 9, 2025

Categories

Archives

August 2025
MTWTFSS
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
« Jul    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (763)
  • Economy (785)
  • Entertainment (21,662)
  • General (16,380)
  • Health (9,825)
  • Lifestyle (796)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (787)
  • Politics (795)
  • Science (15,999)
  • Sports (21,283)
  • Technology (15,766)
  • World (768)

Recent News

New filtration system to help Boat Haven meet Ecology standards – Port Townsend Leader

New filtration system to help Boat Haven meet Ecology standards – Port Townsend Leader

August 10, 2025

Kamin Science Center Is Prepared for Liftoff! – Carnegie Science Center

August 10, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version