Project description DEENESFRITPL New insights into the mammalian voice perception system The vocalisations of mammals hold significant clues as to their inner states and identities. Recent evidence suggests that certain human auditory brain specialisations and mechanisms, relevant for voice and speech perception, are associated with abrupt shifts in human capacities compared to other primates. The question is whether brain specialisations for voice and speech perception reflect human-specific predispositions rather that being the consequence of rapid evolutionary adaptations. The EU-funded VOIMA project will combine ethology and brain imaging to compare voice and speech processing in humans, dogs and pigs. The project aims to provide new insights into how speech has shaped human voice perception. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Vocalizations of any mammal carry prominent cues about the inner states and identity of the vocalizer. Voice is also a prevalent channel for humans’ recently emerged communication system, speech. Recent evidence suggests that certain human auditory brain specializations and mechanisms, relevant for voice and speech perception, reflect abrupt shifts in human capacities compared to other primates. Do these brain specializations for voice and speech perception reflect human-specific predispositions and are thus human-unique, or are they the consequence of rapid evolutionary adaptations or developmental accommodations of the ancient voice perception system to recent demands imposed by the presence of speech? I hypothesize that in general voice perception mechanisms are conserved across mammals, and provide a neuronal niche in which specializations for human voice and speech perception may arise also in non-humans. The case of companion animals provides an unparalleled model system to study the possible evolutionary and experiential effects of the presence of speech on the mammalian voice perception system. Dogs and pigs are phylogenetically distant, highly vocal species that live, when kept as companions, with humans. VOIMA combines ethology and brain imaging (EEG/fMRI/HD-DOT) to compare voice and speech processing in humans, dogs and pigs: WP1 seeks evidence for selective processing of conspecific voices, human voice, and speech. WP2 explores the mechanisms and specific sensitivities for inner state coding, voice identity recognition and vocalizer normalization, from con- and heterospecific voice. WP3 tests how sensitivities to human voice and speech emerge across dog breed types, in neonate dogs, pigs, wolves and wild boars, and in input-manipulated developing dogs. Revealing how adaptation to the human social niche shapes domestic mammals' voice perception, this project will provide new insights on how speech shaped human voice perception. Fields of science agricultural sciencesanimal and dairy sciencedomestic animalsengineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imagingmagnetic resonance imagingnatural sciencesbiological scienceszoologymammalogynatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethology Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2020-STG - ERC STARTING GRANTS Call for proposal ERC-2020-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Coordinator EOTVOS LORAND TUDOMANYEGYETEM Net EU contribution € 1 900 000,00 Address Egyetem ter 1-3 1053 Budapest Hungary See on map Region Közép-Magyarország Budapest Budapest Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all EOTVOS LORAND TUDOMANYEGYETEM Hungary Net EU contribution € 1 900 000,00 Address Egyetem ter 1-3 1053 Budapest See on map Region Közép-Magyarország Budapest Budapest Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
