Modern life’s loud noises can have a detrimental impact on animals. The noise from traffic can disrupt mating calls, increase stress levels, and even lead to higher mortality rates. Surprisingly, new research indicates that some animals can be affected by this noise even before they are able to hear it.
“We were truly taken aback,” says Mylene Mariette, a behavioral ecologist at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia. “Not only were the effects significant, but they also persisted for a long time.”
Prior studies had shown a connection between noise exposure during development and health issues later in life, but it was unclear whether this was due to interference with parenting.
Mariette and her team altered the sound environment for zebra finches, subjecting them to traffic noise or birdsong before and after birth. The nestlings were kept separate from their parents during the sound treatments.
2024-04-25 13:00:00
Originally published on www.sciencenews.org