Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >> Science  (click to enlarge) Gulf toadfish like this male build their nests in shallow waters along the southeastern and Gulf coasts of the United States.   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Honey? Gurgle, gurgle 7/18/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Friday, July 18, 2008 A toadfish's hum will get it a mate Associated Press WASHINGTON -- It's not exactly Tony serenading Maria in "West Side Story," but for all their homeliness, toadfish also sing to attract mates. OK, singing may be a stretch; it's more of a hum. But it turns out to be useful, for science as well as the fish. Exploring how the toadfish's nervous system produces sounds is allowing scientists to trace the earliest developments of vocalization in other animals, including people. Many animals communicate vocally -- birds chirp, frogs thrum, whales whistle -- and comparing the nerve networks in a variety of vertebrates suggests that making sounds originated in ancient fishes, researchers report in today's edition of the journal Science. The sounds of whales and dolphins are well known, but most people don't realize fish also make sounds, lead researcher Andrew Bass of Cornell University said in a telephone interview. He's a professor of neurobiology and behavior. "I'm not saying fish have a language or are using higher powers of the brain," he said. "But some of the networks of neurons, nerve cells in the brain, are very ancient." The whole nervous system basis that led to speech originated in fish hundreds of millions of years ago, he said. He studied the hindbrain in the larvae of midshipmanfish and toadfish, which grow up to produce more than one type of sound. "It's not as complex as what you hear mammals and birds doing; it's the simplest type of communication ... but the parts of the nervous system that generate sounds are easiest to study in these fish," Bass said. His team found two major uses of sound. One is the hum in which the male sings to attract the female to his nest. Bass characterized it as like the drone of bees or a motor running. The second type is a threat sound, more of a grunt or growl, to protect nesting territory.

1. SPEEA to vote today on Boeing contract 2. Man sold Lowe's gift cards from stolen goods, police allege 3. County budget cuts hit courts, will affect cities 4. Crops attract snow geese; hunts control field-damaging flocks 5. Barry Manilow to play Everett 6. Camano Island pair arrested with list of stolen credit card numbers 7. Gambling's growth prompts casino dealer school in Everett 8. Sultan financial errors detailed 9. Reardon can take days without pay 10. Silvertips take one (or two, or three, or more ...) for the team 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Colleges brace for massive cuts • Was burglary suspect burglarized? • Food banks facing hard times • Council member resigns, heading to D.C. • Edmonds closes aid car loophole • Wildcats head to state semifinals • Thanksgiving served with an outpouring of generosity • King's takes third at 1A state tournament • School closures recommended • Stillaguamish Tribe’s Angel of the Winds Casino opens new addition Dec. ... • Building energy independence from the ground up