Wild Indris Sing Like Opera Stars, Widening Mouths to Hit High Notes, Study Finds

A study released on September 21 in PLOS Computational Biology highlights that wild indris, recognized as the sole singing lemurs, modify their mouth and throat movements akin to skilled opera singers. The research, spearheaded by Filippo Carugati from the University of Turin and co-authored by Chiara De Gregorio from the University of Warwick, examined 83 videos featuring 19 indris in Madagascar's Maromizaha forest and Mitsinjo reserve. The findings indicate that indris widen their mouths when producing higher frequency sounds, a method known as formant tuning. This adaptation facilitates communication over long distances in the dense rainforest. With a critically endangered population estimated between 1,000 and 10,000, indris are threatened by hunting, climate change, and habitat loss.