The chicks were able to sing while still in the egg
New research has shown that chicks learn to squeak, twitter and sing long before they hatch. While still in the egg, they can hear the songs of their parents and imitate them, according to the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
Scientists from Flinders University in Australia studied the eggs of five bird species: two wrens, a Galapagos finch, a small penguin and a Japanese quail. They were given audio recordings with the voices of birds, both their own and other species. At the same time, scientists recorded the heart rate of the embryos.
The study involved two species of birds: vocal learners (that is, repeating songs after another individual) and non-learners (singing randomly). The results showed that all birds responded to other people's voices, while their heart rate was changing. But in the learning species, the response was much more pronounced.
The embryos paid more attention to the songs of their own species, but could also adopt other people's vocalizations.
“Birds respond to sounds before they hatch, demonstrating the ability to perceive and learn to recognize sounds before birth,” the authors of the scientific paper noted.
These data change scientists' ideas about the ability of living things to master sound. Scientists plan to continue research to understand how early hearing development affects neurobiological processes, behavior and information processing.
Previously, scientists have studied migratory birds. They recorded their rise to record heights.
