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A surprising twist to the findings is that, based on prior research, it can now be said that humans are better at predicting the body size of dogs than the body size of other humans when using vocalizations as the clue. Taylor and her team believe humans are all "hardwired" to predict body size based on formants. As we evolved and developed speech skills, which made our vocal tracts more flexible, this probable genetic predisposition became an "outdated" mechanism when trying to guess the size of other humans based upon what we hear. Because dogs have not developed speaking skills as we have, their vocal tracts are not as flexible, so "their resonant frequencies still give an accurate picture of their body size," she said. Tobias Riede of the National Center for Voice and Speech in Denver told Discovery News that the new research "represents an interesting step towards a better understanding of dog-human communication." "(The scientists) correctly measured some physical aspects of sound production, which correspond to dog size, and attempted to relate them to perceptual abilities of human listeners," Riede said. The researchers hope future studies will investigate if humans can make similar predictions based upon the vocalizations of other creatures. The scientists don't know what to expect, as the recent discovery may be somewhat of an animal kingdom fluke due to the unusually close evolutionary relationship people have enjoyed with dogs over the millennia. Related Links: Jennifer Viegas' Blog: Born Animal National Center for Voice and Speech |
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