Singing Mice Engage in Bird-Like Duets
Alston's singing mice, found in Central America's highland cloud forests, are known for their complex vocalizations that serve social functions like territory defense and mate attraction. These mice engage in "sing-offs" to avoid physical confrontations, using precise neural circuits similar to those in humans and songbirds. Their high-pitched songs are an adaptation to avoid predators and are studied for insights into communication and speech disorders, highlighting the evolutionary parallels in vocalization across species.