A new study of the vocal apparatus of humans and other primates shows that our larynx has evolved a much simpler anatomy than that of our non-speaking ancestors, reports Science.. This simplification is precisely what allowed our species, instead of complex trills, like other primates, to reproduce an even sequence of sounds that became speech..

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In humans, sound is generated by a double pair of folds in the larynx, known as the vocal cords.. And the vocal apparatus of other primates has, in addition to them, thin flaps known as vocal membranes, or vocal lips, which are often located next to or connected to the vocal cords..

Primate vocal evolutionary biologist William Tecumseh Fitch and colleagues have built a computer model of a monkey's larynx.. The vocal membranes of the virtual larynx oscillated randomly and generated an uneven acoustic stream. As soon as the researchers removed the “extra” membranes in the larynx, the vocal cords became similar to human ones, and the sounds they generated also began to resemble human ones..

Extra vocal membranes “make you sound like Kurt Cobain, not like an opera singer,” Fitch jokes..

“Many people tend to think that evolution is always a complication, but here is a good counterexample for you,” emphasizes the scientist.

Recall that Italian scientists managed to recreate the voice of the " Recreation of Otzi's voice was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the discovery of his mummy.