Studies of the nervous systems of larval toadfish have revealed brain circuitry similar to that controlling the vocal muscles in frogs, birds and mammals, says Andrew H. Bass of Cornell University.Vertebrates croak, sing, ribbit and roar using very different muscles. But\u00c2\u00a0 a basic network of the nerves setting the rhythms and orchestrating those muscles originates in the same area of the brain and spinal column.<\/p>\n
Bass and his colleagues have been studying the neuroscience of fish vocalizations for decades. The fish they studied belong to a lineage that diverged from other vertebrates some 400 million years ago. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The neural basis for vocal communication is very ancient.This is a beautiful example of sorting out what happened through evolution by looking at the developing brain ,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bass says.<\/p>\n
So,no matter how off-key you might be, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re still singing like a nightingale. Or a fish!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Studies of the nervous systems of larval toadfish have revealed brain circuitry similar to that controlling the vocal muscles in frogs, birds and mammals, says Andrew H. Bass of Cornell University.Vertebrates croak, sing, ribbit and roar using very different muscles. … Continue reading