Next Time You Speak, Thank a Fish

What did the fish say when he bumped his nose? "Dam." Okay, it's an old one, but now National Science Foundation (NSF) researchers say it's no joke that all vocal communications carried on by vertebrates -- including humans -- evolved from ancient fish species.

By studying the growth of brain cells of newly hatched midshipmen fish, NSF scientists established that the development of our ability to produce audible sounds can be traced all the way back to a time long before animals lived on land.

"The neural circuitry that enables human beings to verbally communicate--not to mention birds to sing, and frogs to 'ribbit' -- was likely laid down hundreds of millions of years ago with the hums and grunts of fish," states the NSF in a press release.

For you education and entertainment, the NSF even provides this guided tour of fish chatting each other up.

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