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Humans and other animals have specialised brain regions dedicated to processing the voice of their conspecifics. We used an fMRI-guided electrophysiological technique on macaque monkeys to investigate one of these regions, the anterior Temporal Voice Area. For the first time, a subpopulation of neurons selectively responsive to human voices was identified. These neurons are separate from those that respond to conspecific macaque vocalisations, a selectivity likely due to the macaques’ extensive daily exposure to human voices. These observations highlight the impact of environmental experience on neural development.
Giamundo, M., Trapeau, R., Thoret, E., Renaud, L., Nougaret, S., Brochier, T. G., & Belin, P.
A population of neurons selective for human voice in the monkey brain.
2024. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(25), e2405588121.
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