Mice might serve as a model for how humans learn to vocalize according to scientists.

"We can elicit vocalization behavior in males really easily by just putting them with a female," Portfors said, "and they vocalize like crazy."And it turned out that it didn't matter if the mouse was deaf or not. The researchers catalogued essentially the same suite of ultrasonic sounds from both the deaf and hearing mice."It means that they don't need to hear to be able to produce their sounds, their vocalizations," Portfors said.
"…Basically, they don't need to hear themselves. They don't need auditory feedback. They don't need to learn."The finding means mice are out as a model to study vocal learning. However, scientists can now focus on the mouse to learn the genetic mechanism behind communications disorders."If you don't have learning as a variable, you can look at the genetic control of these things," Portfors said. "You can look at the genetic control of the output of the signal. It's not messed up by an animal that's been in a particular learning situation."
Source-Eurekalert