Cats purr differently than previously thought. A tissue pad in the vocal folds of cats could explain how the small animals can produce such deep sounds, according to a study with Swiss participation.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Português
pt
Gatos ronronam de forma diferente do que se suspeitava anteriormente
The observed mechanism of sound production is thus amazingly similar to human snoring, said a statement from the University of Vienna on Wednesday. This is a special technique that singers use to produce deep, rattling sounds.
To come to this conclusion, the team of researchers from the University of Vienna, the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (Fibl) and the Czech Palacký University of Olomouc examined surgically removed larynges of cats that had died (due to incurable diseases).
Purring not properly understood
Until now, researchers had assumed that cat purrs were produced by a special mechanism: by a rhythmic tensing and contracting of muscles in the larynx. According to the researchers, this would require constant neuronal input and the corresponding control by the brain.
However, the data from the laboratory experiment show that the larynx of the domestic cat is capable of producing deep tones with purr frequencies without neuronal input or cyclical muscle contractions.
The results of the study are a clear indication that the current understanding of cat purring is incomplete and needs further research, according to the University of Vienna.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.