Comparative morphology and physiology of the vocal production apparatus and the brain in the extant primates

•This research aimed to determine the functional contribution of the vocal organs to the voice production with their morphological characteristics in primates. We would particularly like to emphasize the importance of the tongue in the primary development of human speech and language.•We also invest...

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Published in:Annals of anatomy 2022-02, Vol.240, p.151887-151887, Article 151887
Main Authors: Iwasaki, Shin-ichi, Yoshimura, Ken, Asami, Tomoichiro, Erdoğan, Serkan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anatomy
Animals
Brain
Laryngeal Muscles
Larynx
Physiology
Primates
Speech
Vocal organs
Voice
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Summary:•This research aimed to determine the functional contribution of the vocal organs to the voice production with their morphological characteristics in primates. We would particularly like to emphasize the importance of the tongue in the primary development of human speech and language.•We also investigate the comparative morphology of components involved in vocal production, including the larynx, the hyoid bone, and the vocal brain.•We would like to evaluate the innervation pathways comparatively between vocal organs and vocal parts of the brain in primates. Objective data mainly from the comparative anatomy of various organs related to human speech and language is considered to unearth clues about the mechanisms behind language development. The two organs of the larynx and hyoid bone are considered to have evolved towards suitable positions and forms in preparation for the occurrence of the large repertoire of vocalization necessary for human speech. However, some researchers have asserted that there is no significant difference of these organs between humans and non-human primates. Speech production is dependent on the voluntary control of the respiratory, laryngeal, and vocal tract musculature. Such control is fully present in humans but only partially so in non-human primates, which appear to be able to voluntarily control only supralaryngeal articulators. Both humans and non-human primates have direct cortical innervation of motor neurons controlling the supralaryngeal vocal tract but only human appear to have direct cortical innervation of motor neurons controlling the larynx. In this review, we investigate the comparative morphology and function of the wide range of components involved in vocal production, including the larynx, the hyoid bone, the tongue, and the vocal brain. We would like to emphasize the importance of the tongue in the primary development of human speech and language. It is now time to reconsider the possibility of the tongue playing a definitive role in the emergence of human speech.
ISSN:0940-9602
1618-0402
DOI:10.1016/j.aanat.2022.151887