Mergell P, Fitch W T, Herzel H
Department of Phoniatrics and Pedaudiology, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
J Acoust Soc Am. 1999 Mar;105(3):2020-8. doi: 10.1121/1.426735.
Although the mammalian larynx exhibits little structural variation compared to sound-producing organs in other taxa (birds or insects), there are some morphological features which could lead to significant differences in acoustic functioning, such as air sacs and vocal membranes. The vocal membrane (or "vocal lip") is a thin upward extension of the vocal fold that is present in many bat and primate species. The vocal membrane was modeled as an additional geometrical element in a two-mass model of the larynx. It was found that vocal membranes of an optimal angle and length can substantially lower the subglottal pressure at which phonation is supported, thus increasing vocal efficiency, and that this effect is most pronounced at high frequencies. The implications of this finding are discussed for animals such as bats and primates which are able to produce loud, high-pitched calls. Modeling efforts such as this provide guidance for future empirical investigations of vocal membrane structure and function, can provide insight into the mechanisms of animal communication, and could potentially lead to better understanding of human clinical disorders such as sulcus vocalis.
尽管与其他类群（鸟类或昆虫）的发声器官相比，哺乳动物的喉部结构变化很小，但仍有一些形态特征可能导致声学功能上的显著差异，如气囊和声带膜。声带膜（或“声唇”）是声带的一个薄的向上延伸部分，存在于许多蝙蝠和灵长类物种中。在喉部的双质量模型中，声带膜被建模为一个额外的几何元素。研究发现，具有最佳角度和长度的声带膜可以显著降低支持发声的声门下压力，从而提高发声效率，并且这种效果在高频时最为明显。对于能够发出响亮、高音调叫声的蝙蝠和灵长类等动物，讨论了这一发现的意义。这样的建模工作为未来对声带膜结构和功能的实证研究提供了指导，能够深入了解动物交流的机制，并且有可能更好地理解诸如声带沟等人类临床疾病。
