Has the mystery of cat purring finally been solved? Scientists claim to have the ultimate explanation: our domestic cats have “pads” built into their vocal cords!
Why do our house cats purr? This is the amazing, never-before-answered question that science has decided to address. And Researchers have raised a surprising hypothesisin A study published October 3 in the journal Current biology. Explanation sequence.
“Pads” in the vocal cords!
the Our domestic cats purr It was therefore a mystery, and would soon be solved. these types of Low frequency pronunciation (between 20 and 30 Hz) We are It is surprising, because it is generally observed in larger animalslike elephants, which also have much longer vocal cords than those of cats.
Why do cats purr? Scientists have an explanation https://t.co/Js5JZNhRqf
– LeHuffPost (@LeHuffPost) October 9, 2023
then How can cats vibrate their vocal cords at such low frequencies? Simply becauseThey will have some kind of “pads” (a bit like under their feet) embedded in the vocal cordsAccording to these scholars. This is amazing A type of fatty tissue in the larynx They will be allowed to purr, for example when we pet them.
How did they arrive at this hypothesis? Simply By studying the throats of 8 deceased domestic cats After a terminal illness (no animals were abused during the experiment). As they compressed their vocal cords with a stream of warm, moist air, All cats purred, without muscle contraction or nerve cell input.
Surprise: the brain plays no role!
However, when the cat is alive, it can increase the intensity and force of this purring muscularly or intentionally. but This indicates that the brain is not necessarily involved in the appearance of purring. It is a “big surprise” for researchers.
Despite their short vocal folds, #the cats Able to produce low-pitched sounds. The study reports on special anatomical adaptations (“pads”).
Herbst et al. 2023 @ Current Biology It can produce domestic cat throats #purr Frequencies without neural inputhttps://t.co/543cdDbTCR pic.twitter.com/nBf8IJa7sA
– Teacher. Christine Boehmer (@VertEvo) October 12, 2023
the BoardsTypes of fibrous tissue masses, which were not previously known, Thus increasing the density of the vocal cords, Which makes it vibrate more slowly :Hence these low-frequency sounds come from, despite the small size of cats compared to other animals.
The results, however, persist To be confirmed by experiments on live catsObviously, it is more controversial… Moreover, there are still other mysteries that need to be clarified: How and why does purring occur if the brain has nothing to do with it? Is it a calming mechanism, a sign of contentment or even affection? He follows…
