Formant analysis of vertebrate vocalizations : achievements, pitfalls, and promises
Fitch, W. Tecumseh ; Anikin, Andrey LU
; Pisanski, Katarzyna
; Valente, Daria
and Reby, David
(2025)
In BMC Biology
23(92).
- Abstract
- When applied to vertebrate vocalizations, source-filter theory, initially developed for human speech, has revolutionized our understanding of animal communication, resulting in major insights into the form and function of animal sounds. However, animal calls and human nonverbal vocalizations can differ qualitatively from human speech, often having more chaotic and higher-frequency sources, making formant measurement challenging. We review the considerable achievements of the “formant revolution” in animal vocal communication research, then highlight several important methodological problems in formant analysis. We offer concrete recommendations for effectively applying source-filter theory to non-speech vocalizations and discuss promising... (More)
- When applied to vertebrate vocalizations, source-filter theory, initially developed for human speech, has revolutionized our understanding of animal communication, resulting in major insights into the form and function of animal sounds. However, animal calls and human nonverbal vocalizations can differ qualitatively from human speech, often having more chaotic and higher-frequency sources, making formant measurement challenging. We review the considerable achievements of the “formant revolution” in animal vocal communication research, then highlight several important methodological problems in formant analysis. We offer concrete recommendations for effectively applying source-filter theory to non-speech vocalizations and discuss promising avenues for future research in this area.
Brief Formants (vocal tract resonances) play key roles in animal communication, offering researchers exciting promise but also potential pitfalls. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/ce941edd-6f5a-4cf8-b8a1-8f8e25fbec0d
- author
- Fitch, W. Tecumseh
; Anikin, Andrey
LU
; Pisanski, Katarzyna
; Valente, Daria
and Reby, David
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Vocalization, Animal communication, Evolution of communication, Vocal production, Formant frequency, Source-filter theory
- in
- BMC Biology
- volume
- 23
- issue
- 92
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:40189499
- scopus:105002767123
- ISSN
- 1741-7007
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12915-025-02188-w
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ce941edd-6f5a-4cf8-b8a1-8f8e25fbec0d
- date added to LUP
- 2025-04-08 11:46:38
- date last changed
- 2025-06-26 04:14:19
@article{ce941edd-6f5a-4cf8-b8a1-8f8e25fbec0d,
abstract = {{When applied to vertebrate vocalizations, source-filter theory, initially developed for human speech, has revolutionized our understanding of animal communication, resulting in major insights into the form and function of animal sounds. However, animal calls and human nonverbal vocalizations can differ qualitatively from human speech, often having more chaotic and higher-frequency sources, making formant measurement challenging. We review the considerable achievements of the “formant revolution” in animal vocal communication research, then highlight several important methodological problems in formant analysis. We offer concrete recommendations for effectively applying source-filter theory to non-speech vocalizations and discuss promising avenues for future research in this area.<br/><br/>Brief Formants (vocal tract resonances) play key roles in animal communication, offering researchers exciting promise but also potential pitfalls.}},
author = {{Fitch, W. Tecumseh and Anikin, Andrey and Pisanski, Katarzyna and Valente, Daria and Reby, David}},
issn = {{1741-7007}},
keywords = {{Vocalization; Animal communication; Evolution of communication; Vocal production; Formant frequency; Source-filter theory}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{92}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{BMC Biology}},
title = {{Formant analysis of vertebrate vocalizations : achievements, pitfalls, and promises}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12915-025-02188-w}},
doi = {{10.1186/s12915-025-02188-w}},
volume = {{23}},
year = {{2025}},
}