ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
      • Culture & Society
      • Bizarre Stories
      • Lifestyle
      • Art and Music
      • Gaming
      • Books
      • Movies and Shows
    • Resources
      • How To
      • Science Careers
      • Metascience
      • Fringe Science
      • Science Experiments
      • School and Study
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Humans and monkeys respond differently to music and speech

Our ability to detect pitch may have been integral to the development of language and music.

Tibi Puiu by Tibi Puiu
June 10, 2019
in News, Science

Credit: KylaCaresWP, Flickr.
Credit: KylaCaresWP, Flickr.

Speech and music contain harmonic frequencies which we perceive to have "pitch". The capacity to differentiate pitch from noise (sound that lacks pitch) is considered to be an intrinsic human quality -- but how unique is this ability? A new study suggests that although humans and macaque monkeys share a similar visual cortex, there are important differences in the auditory cortex which processes sound.

Sam Norman-Haignere and colleagues at Columbia University measured cortical responses to both natural and synthetic harmonic tones and noise in human subjects and macaque monkeys. These sounds also included recorded macaque vocalizations that were pitched in post-production.

During one experiment involving four human participants and three macaque monkeys, the researchers noticed strong responses to harmonic tones in humans and virtually no response in the monkeys. In another experiment that studied the brain responses of six humans and five monkeys to natural and modified macaque vocalizations, the researchers found that the human brain performs stronger selectivity for harmonic vocalizations. Meanwhile, the macaques seem to lack the capacity to discern the pitched version.

The team of researchers concludes that the auditory cortical organization differs between human and macaques. These differences are likely driven by human's propensity for speech and music.

Pitch allows us to convey mood or emphasis when speaking. For instance, read these sentences aloud:

  • I never said she stole my money.
  • I never said she stole my money.
  • I never said she stole my money.

Each of the sentences above carries a different meaning due to the emphasis on certain words through pitch change. Previously, a study published in the journal Neuron involving epilepsy patients narrowed down the brain region responsible for pitch and its variations -- the dorsal laryngeal motor cortex. Such studies are particularly useful to sufferers of aprosodia, a neurological condition that some researchers have described as "a disruption in the expression or comprehension of the changes in pitch, loudness, rate, or rhythm that convey a speaker's emotional intent."

High and low pitches are created by the vibration of vocal cords, which are controlled by tension in the folds that comes from flexing muscles, causing a faster vibration.

"We speculate that the greater sensitivity of the human cortex to harmonic tones is driven in development or evolution by the demands imposed by speech and music perception," the authors concluded in the journal Nature.

Tags: musicspeech

ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2023 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
      • Culture & Society
      • Bizarre Stories
      • Lifestyle
      • Art and Music
      • Gaming
      • Books
      • Movies and Shows
    • Resources
      • How To
      • Science Careers
      • Metascience
      • Fringe Science
      • Science Experiments
      • School and Study
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2023 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don't you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can't be wrong. Don't worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW