EVOLUTION OF OUR VOICES

Animals communicate through vocalising: birds sing, toads croak, whales call, lions roar. But as far as we know, no other animal has the depth and breadth of sound range to rival a human. A wide array of vertebrates including some fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals make sounds using the flow of air. These are often less complex than the sophisticated vocalisation systems in mammals, which include abdominal muscles and a diaphragm to regulate and control airflow and a network of muscles that support the voice box. Experts believe that humans have better vocal control than their four-legged mammal cousins as they are bipedal. Standing upright allowed for the larynx to move and for the throat cavity to expand.