Mice 'can sing in harmony' like humans and birds

Mice may be able to learn to 'sing' in harmony like humans and some birds, according to US scientists.

 

Male mice sing complex songs to attract females, but it's long been thought they couldn't control their pitch, how high or low it sounds.

 

Duke University researchers have now found that when male mice were housed together, they changed the pitch of their songs to match each other. But some scientists aren't so sure the evidence supports the new finding.

 

The melodies that mice make are ultrasonic, so they're too high-pitched for human ears. Only a few animals are able to adapt the pitch of their sounds - something known as "vocal learning". Creatures with this talent include parrots, whales, dolphins, bats and elephants.

 

Match the words below to their definitions

 

complex / evidence / harmony / researchers / ultrasonic / vocal

 

1. pleasant musical sound
2. involving lots of things and difficult to understand
3. people who study something to learn new things
4. something that makes you believe that something is true
5. very high-pitched sound that you can’t hear
6. involving or relating to your voice

 True or false?

 

 1. The study focused on male mice.

 2. Not all scientists agree with the study.

 3. Mice are the only animals that can sing.

 4. Humans can’t hear the mouse songs.

 5. Male mice can’t sing in harmony.

 6. Parrots and dolphins can’t sing.

 7. The mice raise and lower their voices.

 8. Duke University in the United States.

 

 What's the missing word?

 

1. The________________that mice make are ultrasonic.

 2. Only a few animals are able to_____________the pitch of their sounds.

 3. Male mice sing complex songs to______________females.

 4. It's long been thought they couldn't________________their pitch.

 

 

 

KEY

 

Match the words below to their definitions

harmony: pleasant musical sound

complex: involving lots of things and difficult to understand

researchers: people who study something to learn new things

evidence: something that makes you believe that something is true

ultrasonic: very high-pitched sound that you can’t hear

vocal: involving or relating to your voice

 

 True or false?

 

1. True 

2. True

3. False

4. True

5. False

6. False

7. True

8. True

 

What's the missing word?

 1. melodies

 2. adapt

 3. attract

 4. control