We are delighted to share our new review, “Constraint and convergence in the evolution of vertebrate sound production”, now out in Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
Vertebrates make sound in strikingly different ways, from the vibrating swim bladders of fishes to the larynx of mammals and the syrinx of birds. In this paper we ask how the physics of sound production has shaped which mechanisms evolved, and what each can achieve.
We show that muscle-driven mechanisms, such as stridulation, percussion and swim bladder vibration in fishes, are limited by how fast muscles can contract. This restricts both the frequencies they can produce and how efficiently that sound radiates. Airflow-driven mechanisms overcome this constraint. In particular, myoelastic-aerodynamic (MEAD) sound production, in which airflow drives the vibration of elastic tissues such as the vocal folds, enables efficient, high-frequency sound.
MEAD has evolved convergently in several groups of tetrapods: in the larynx, in the phonic lips of toothed whales and in the syrinx of birds. This repeated arrival at the same physical solution supports complex and long-range acoustic communication across these groups.
Thanks to Christian Herbst, Coen Elemans and Tecumseh Fitch for a great collaboration!
Dunn JC, Herbst CT, Elemans CPH, Fitch WT (2026). Constraint and convergence in the evolution of vertebrate sound production. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 41(8): 749–761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2026.04.013
