Development of sound production in normal, isolated, and deafened kittens during the first postnatal months

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Abstract
The development of cells (quantified by a series of acoustiv parameters) of (a) normal, (b) socially isolated, and (c) deafened kittens that were released in four different situation has been studied from birth to 170 days of age. All call parameters studied except noise components show developmental changes that can be related to the development of (a) the vocal tract (fundamental frequency, harmonic with maximum intensity, uper‐frequency limit and frequency range, occurrence of frequency, and intensity modulations), (b) feedback control through the auditory system sound‐pressure level, harmonic with maximum intensity, call‐variability, and (c) motivational valuation of the releasing situations (duration). Isolated and deafened kittens displayed quantitative differences in certain call parameters compared with normal animals. Calls of deafened animals are, on the average, louder, more tonal and uniform, and differentially pitched compared with those of normal, hearing animals.