It didn’t come as too much of a surprise to us that scientists have recently learned that there are parallels in the way gibbons and opera singers are using their apparatus to produce loud, pure sounds.

“We’ve shown how the gibbons’ distinctive song uses the same vocal mechanics as soprano singers, revealing a fundamental similarity with humans,” explains Takeshi Nishimura, an associate professor with the Primate Research Institute at Japan’s Kyoto University.

There are similarities in the physiology of the larynx in primates and humans, and it appears that the operatic vocal training which singers undergo seeks to reconnect with these ancient and intuitive types of vocalisation.

The findings were published in the most recent edition of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

Learn more about this discovery on the National Geographic website.