November 19, 2012 Issue
Page 5
Did you know that male mice can sing? Well they can! And they do this to attract females. Scientists believed that the rodents sang by instinct, without thinking, and only a single key. However, a new study from Duke University in North Carolina shows that when two male mice of different vocal pitches are put in the same cage, one mouse (usually the smaller one) would usually modulate it's voice to match the other mouse. This suggests vocal learning- a form of communication found in humans, birds and a handful of other animals. The fact that mice (that are genetically similar to humans) have this ability may help scientists with human disorders that affect communication. "These findings will be a big boost to scientists studying diseases such as autism and anxiety disorders," a researcher told the British newspaper, the Daily Mail.
