Mammal brains may use the same circuits to control tongues and limbs

Corrective motions in mouse tongues mirror limb adjustments seen in primates

mouse drinking water

When a mouse drinks water, it uses corrective motions with its tongue that are a bit like the kinds of limb adjustments seen when primates reach for objects.

MarkBridger/Monument/Getty Images Plus

Precise control of the tongue is often vital in life, from the way frogs capture flies to human speech (SN: 1/31/17).