• We now know how horses whinnyTierfotoagentur/E. • Hofstede/Alamy We now know how horses whinny Tierfotoagentur/E. • Hofstede/Alamy When a horse whinnies, it is making two sounds simultaneously as no other animal can: a low-pitched noise made in a similar way to a cow’s moo and a high-pitched whistle made in its throat. • It has long been known that a horse’s whinny contains both a low-frequency sound, around 200 hertz, and a high-frequency sound, above 1000 hertz - a phenomenon known as biphonation. • The low-frequency component is easily explained by vibrations in the horse’s laryngeal vocal folds, similar to human speech or singing. • But the high-frequency sound is unusual for such a large animal, and how it is produced has been a mystery.

Article Summaries:

  • Researchers at the University of Vienna have experimentally confirmed that a horse’s whinny is a true biphonation, producing both a low‑frequency vocal‑fold vibration (~200 Hz) and a high‑frequency whistle (>1 kHz) from the larynx itself. By blowing air and helium through harvested horse larynges, they showed the high‑frequency component shifts with gas density, indicating an aerodynamic whistle rather than tissue vibration. Endoscopic recordings of live horses revealed glottic narrowing and rapid airflow at the onset of a whinny. This is the first strong evidence that a large mammal, aside from humans, can generate a laryngeal whistle, potentially enhancing sound range and distinctiveness.
  • When a horse whinnies, it is making two sounds simultaneously as no other animal can: a low-pitched noise made in a similar way to a cow’s moo and a high-pitched whistle made in its throat. It has long been known that a horse’s whinny contains both a low-frequency sound, around 200 hertz, and a high-frequency sound, above 1000 hertz - a phenomenon known as biphonation. The low-frequency component is easily explained by vibrations in the horse’s laryngeal vocal folds, similar to human speech or singing. But the high-frequency sound is unusual for such a large animal, and how it is produced has

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