Photo: Pixabay. Image with illustrative role
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Bat babies imitate the speech of adults just like human babies.
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Scientists who have studied bats in Costa Rica have found that newborns emit sounds similar to human babies. According to the BBC, bats typically produce rhythmic sounds and repeat key “modular syllables”. The study suggests that little bats are trying to learn to communicate through chatter, just like little humans.
“I talk all day, from east to west, trying to learn the rhythm,” says the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Ahana Fernandez. The species studied by scientists is especially vocal, namely Saccopteryx bilineata. “These bats actually sing like songbirds,” she adds.
I use distinct syllables
“So they have an extremely sophisticated vocal communication, they have a repertoire of distinct syllables,” says Dr. Fernandez. She and her colleagues published the findings in the journal Science. Mainly written about:
-the repetition of some key syllables that adults use in their singing;
-rhythmicity and repetition, very similar to the “yes-yes” sounds of babies;
Human speech requires very precise control over the vocal apparatus. Random chattering of babies plays an important role in the exercise of taking control of the system. The same goes for bats.
There are many other species of bats that could do the same
“We know all kinds of syllables produced by adult bats. The ones that appear in the chatter of the chicks are very similar to those of the adults “, she adds. However, the species Saccopteryx bilineata is the only one that has been shown to do so. With 1,400 other species of bats on Earth, scientists believe it is only a matter of time before other species are discovered where this behavior can be observed.
Finally, it is important to note that there are still many unknowns in this equation. “Bat chicks listen to each other when they talk. One starts, I chat for 15 minutes or something, and during this time it is clear how the ears of the other chicks move. So they really listen to each other, but I don’t know how this influences their exercise “, the researcher concluded.
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