Born to roar: Lions' and tigers' fearsome roars are due to their unusual vocal cords
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - 19:31
in Biology & Nature
When lions and tigers roar loudly and deeply -- terrifying every creature within earshot -- they are somewhat like human babies crying for attention, although their voices are much deeper. So says the senior author of a new study that shows lions' and tigers' loud, low-frequency roars are predetermined by physical properties of their vocal fold tissue -- namely, the ability to stretch and shear -- and not by nerve impulses from the brain.