Comparative EEG reveals general and conspecific vocalization sensitivities in evolutionarily distant mammal species.

Abstract in brief

• The study found that mammals like humans, dogs, and pigs have specialized brain responses to vocal sounds, with early responses indicating general sensitivity to all vocalizations, and later responses showing sensitivity to sounds from their own species (conspecifics).
• These neural sensitivities are observed in electrophysiological signals called ERPs, which show different timing patterns across species, suggesting that both general and species-specific processing of vocal sounds are evolutionarily conserved mechanisms.
• Overall, the research demonstrates that despite evolutionary distance, mammals share similar brain processes for perceiving and categorizing vocal sounds, which are likely important for communication and social behaviors.]