Primates have evolved larger voice boxes than other mammals to help with social interactions

Humans and other primates have evolved'significantly larger' voice boxes than other mammals to help with social interactions, a new study shows. Compared with other mammals such as cats, the voice box, or larynx, of primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees is more than a third larger in relation to their body size. They also found that primates' voice boxes undergo faster rates of evolution, and are diverse in function and more variable in size. Researchers made CT-scans of specimens from 55 different species, including primates and other mammals, and produced 3D computer models of their larynges. The research claims to be the first large-scale study into the evolution of the larynx, where tissue vibrations produce sounds for vocal communication.