The nearly right angle bend in the human vocal tract allows for which advantage?

The nearly right angle bend in the human vocal tract is crucial because it allows for the separation of the oral and pharyngeal cavities, facilitating two independently resonating cavities. This anatomical feature enables the human vocal tract to generate a wide variety of complex sounds, as the shape and configuration of each cavity can be altered independently during speech production.

By changing the shape of the oral cavity, for instance, different vowels and consonant sounds can be formed without significantly affecting the other cavity. This independence contributes to the richness and diversity of human speech, allowing for nuanced articulation and a broader range of phonetic sounds. The ability to have two resonating spaces working in concert is a key aspect of how humans produce speech effectively.