RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Vocal Tract Limitations on the Vowel Repertoires of Rhesus Monkey and other Nonhuman Primates
JF Science
JO Science
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP 1185
OP 1187
DO 10.1126/science.164.3884.1185
VO 164
IS 3884
A1 Lieberman, Philip H.
A1 Klatt, Dennis H.
A1 Wilson, William H.
YR 1969
UL http://science.sciencemag.org/content/164/3884/1185.abstract
AB The vowel repertoire of a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) was explored by means of a computer program that calculated formant frequencies from the area function of the animal's supralaryngeal vocal tract, which was systematically varied within the limits imposed by anatomical constraints. The resulting vowels were compared with those of humans and with recorded vocalizations of nonhuman primates. The computer model indicates that the acoustic "vowel space" of a rhesus monkey is quite restricted compared to that of the human. This limitation results from the lack of a pharyngeal region that can change its cross-sectional area. These animals thus lack the output mechanism necessary for production of human speech. Man's speech output mechanism is apparently species-specific.