Male koalas in Australia bellow so loudly during the mating season because their voice boxes are akin to those found in humans, scientists have discovered.
Despite the tree-dwelling mammal having a cute and furry appearance, a 15-pound koala is as loud as a cow weighing more than a tonne, a study found.
Researchers discovered the marsupial emitted a louder sound as a way of attracting sexual partners during the mating season.
The team of Australian and Austrian researchers, writing in The Journal of Experimental Biology, also found their cries were a way of boasting about their body size and intimidating rival lovers.
Using complex medical imaging they discovered the sounds were louder because their larynx had “descended” and sat deeper in their throat and chest than other species.
This was similar to human development because as a person grows up, their larynx also becomes lower, and deeper, as they learn more complex language and speech.
“A lot of times people in the bush might hear a Koala calling. You have this cute fluffy animal but on the other hand (hear) this booming voice which jolts them a bit,” said Dr Bill Ellis, a co-author of the study.
“There are some interesting parallels in the structure of the actual vocal tract. This descendant of larynx koalas have is similar to that in some of the big cats but also in humans,” he added.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
