Your voice is distinct in my ears

[sovay]

Nothing this week has made me happier than learning that naked mole rats have different dialects by which they distinguish colony-mates from strangers, inculcated by nurture rather than coded by nature—and that these dialects are set by the queen of each colony. Since naked mole rats fight violently when their greeting chirps are answered in an alien tongue, I feel I am waiting now to see if they evolve interpreters. Also I am afraid I am intrigued but also extremely entertained by the idea of a unique song that only the naked mole rat queen sings while in the bathroom. "That, for example, is something that we have no idea what it means, but is a really cool direction that we want to look into in the future."

Comments

[asakiyume]

Since naked mole rats fight violently when their greeting chirps are answered in an alien tongue, I feel I am waiting now to see if they evolve interpreters. --I really, really would love a story with a mole-rat interpreter protagonist!

[sovay]

--I really, really would love a story with a mole-rat interpreter protagonist!

Yes!

[minoanmiss]

Your letting me know this has enriched my life immeasurably. I mean that 100% seriously and 200% joyfully.

[sovay]

I mean that 100% seriously and 200% joyfully.

I'm very glad!

[a_reasonable_man]

Someone should write, "The Lay of the Queen Mole Rat, Sung in the Bathroom."

[sovay]

Someone should write, "The Lay of the Queen Mole Rat, Sung in the Bathroom."

I don't think it really would sound anything like Rossini, but I'm still blaming you for the fact that "Largo al factotum" is now stuck in my head.

[alexxkay]

Mole Rat shibboleths!

I've heard it theorized that human singing has a similar origin / function.

[sovay]

Mole Rat shibboleths!

Exactly!

I've heard it theorized that human singing has a similar origin / function.

Huh. As opposed to what other origins?

[alexxkay]

I'm sorry, I don't understand your question.

[sovay]

I'm sorry, I don't understand your question.

It would not have occurred to me that human singing evolved to differentiate groups from one another as opposed to—if it had to evolve for any purpose as opposed to a side effect of having voices—bonding members of a group. I was curious what other theories there were.

[alexxkay]

If other theories were mentioned wherever I read this one, many years ago, they are lost to my memory.

[dhampyresa]

Molerats are so weird and I love them for it.

[sovay]

Molerats are so weird and I love them for it.

I keep forgetting they're cold-blooded!