All articles tagged with #vocal learning
A new study suggests that the rapid brain growth in early infancy, particularly in social and vocal learning contexts, may explain how humans and marmosets develop language skills, highlighting the importance of social interactions during critical developmental periods.
A study from The Rockefeller University reveals that European starlings, known for their diverse vocal abilities, are not only advanced vocal learners but also adept problem solvers. The research suggests a co-evolution of vocal learning, cognitive abilities, and relative brain size. The study found a strong correlation between problem-solving abilities and vocal learning abilities in starlings, blue jays, and catbirds. These species, which were the most advanced vocal learners, also had larger brains relative to their body sizes. The findings support the idea that the evolution of complex behaviors like spoken language, which relies on vocal learning, is associated with the co-evolution of other complex behaviors.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that bottlenose dolphins use motherese, or baby talk, when communicating with their calves. The researchers analyzed recordings of 19 adult female dolphins and found that mother dolphins change the tone of their signature whistles when addressing their babies. The usage of child-directed communication is believed to enhance attention, bonding, and vocal learning, but researchers are not sure what the "mechanistic driver(s) or function(s) of" baby talk is for bottlenose dolphins.