Humans, sparrows make sense of sounds in similar ways: Complex set of cognitive skills

Date:

January 5, 2015

Source:

Duke University

Summary:

The song of the swamp sparrow -- a grey-breasted bird found in wetlands throughout much of North America -- is a simple melodious trill. But according to a new study swamp sparrows are capable of processing the notes that make up their simple songs in more sophisticated ways than previously realized -- an ability that may help researchers better understand the perceptual building blocks that enable language in humans.

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