“There appears to be a specific compartment in the developing nervous system that gives rise to what we call a ‘pacemaker circuit’ – a collection of neurons that provides the most fundamental signals that are used in structuring this vocalisation,” he says.

Although the evolutionary line that spawned toadfish branched away from other vertebrates nearly half a billion years ago, birds, frogs and mammals seem to share the same basic pattern of connections in their vocal pacemakers.

This strongly suggests that these vocal centres evolved in a common ancestor of all vertebrates, and that different animals harnessed this region to build their own unique calls, Bass says.

“Each group has their own flourishes that are all part of that animal being adapted to the niche in which it survives,” he says.

L’areu areu primordial trouverait son explication chez ce poisson, lequel indiquerait de quelle sorte d’ancêtre commun la faculté de parler nous viendrait.

Source : New Scientist.