[Animals] Beyond birds: other animals that can sing too

[#Wittels-]

Many studies have been analyzing animals that, curiously, also sing melodies for some time. Why do they do it? Could it be an evolutionary trait?

 

Although everyone prefers a sweet human voice that relaxes us with a melody, we also do not dislike waking up relaxed, thanks to the singing of the birds. Two creatures that sing sweetly, exchanging chirps and chirps, cannot be less than two birds (you think as you close your eyes, letting go and happily relaxed). You are wrong, however, they are two singing mice: tiny rodents from the forests of Central America that communicate like this. Their curious sounds lead us to an accurate but curious conclusion: songbirds are not the only animals (other than humans) that sing. In fact, there are more animals that sing than you might expect. So what species do? And do they sing just to find a partner and mark their territory, simply or perhaps also, like us, because they enjoy it? According to an article recently published in 'Live Science', first of all you have to understand what separates what we consider a song from other sounds. Few researchers claim to have a definitive answer, but in a simple way define a song as a sequence of tones, which can be repeated over a period of time in something that resembles what we would call a melody.

 

Simply put, all songs are sounds, but not all sounds are songs. According to this definition, the barking of a dog or the croaking of a frog would not a priori be considered songs.Going one step further, a song involves a certain degree of composition, aided by the ability to improvise. Interestingly, the animals that sing are often those that learn their vocalizations from their parents, rather than being born with the ability, which underpins that ability to improvise. Although it is a subjective and deeply human definition of understanding something, singing is something of a shortened way of explaining a subset of animal cues that sound musical. Well then, what animals make it? The Mexican free-tailed bat (or Tadarida brasiliensis) tries to attract the attention of females during mating season with a high-pitched melody (so high, in fact, that humans need to tune in to special audio equipment to hear it). When you do catch the interest of a potential mate, update that 'song' with a variety of frequencies to keep the female intrigued long enough before mating begins.

 

Gibbons, on the other hand, challenges humans as sublime singers. Not all species of gibbons sing, but those that produce complex arias that often intersperse long, high-pitched cries with shorter bursts of sound, using vocal mechanisms that researchers have found are common in opera singers as well. In addition, they can sing duets to strengthen social ties. And of course there are also the haunting songs of the humpback whale (the fascinating 52 hertz whale sings so no one can hear it), which biologist Roger Payne recorded on vinyl and distributed in 1970, captivating audiences during that time. They also showed that killer whales and belugas also sing, and that many whales have unique songs that serve to identify themselves.

 

Link: https://www.elconfidencial.com/alma-corazon-vida/2021-10-17/pajaros-animales-cantar-naturaleza_3305763/