Much research on structures underlying speech is based on non-human models. Sometimes we wish to know about non-human species, but more often often our basic objective is to apply the information acquired to humans. The objective of this paper is to indicate a strategy for this purpose, and exemplify it in regard to the larynx.
We may depict one particular animal group such as the eutherian mammals in terms of an archetype, from which the traits of constituent groups can be derived. This schema is applied to specify the relations between simultaneously existing species such as the subjects of our experiments.
The way to quantification of such relations was shown by D'Arcy Thompson. An important aspect explored here is the scaling of different species in relation to their spatial dimensions and physiology. We explore such scaling in regard to the size, mass, force, speed of contraction, fatigue-resistance, and precision of control of laryngeal muscles.
The use of appropriate procedures for physiological scaling, and other metaanalytic procedures, can assist us in the integration of available information abont laryngeal physiology, building on data from non-human species to improve the understanding of laryngeal function in humans.
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