Goats change the sound of the environment

British scientists say goats can develop cries based on their surroundings, according to the Telegraph newspaper .

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Until now, experts believe that the majority of 'voices' are determined by genetics, not the surrounding environment. Exceptions are said to be limited to humans, elephants, dolphins, whales and bats.

A group of experts from the University of London recorded the beep of 4 groups of young goats at the time they were 1 week old and 5 weeks old.

Goats change the sound of the environment

At the age of 5 weeks, goats form social groups with other 'peer' goats.

The results show that the voice of goats changes as they move into different social contexts , thereby rejecting the assertion that the quality of speech and intonation is completely genetic.

"This shows that the goats change their cries around their surroundings and develop a voice that is similar to each other ," said study leader Elodie Briefer.

When asked if this happened in other mammals, Mrs. Briefer did not dare to say for sure. But she believes that if the goats change their vocals according to the environment, the voices of other mammals may also be influenced by the environment.

The research results are published in the journal Animal Behavior.