Experimental evidence for synchronization to a musical beat in a nonhuman animal.
The tendency to move in rhythmic synchrony with a musical beat (e.g., via head bobbing, foot tapping, or dance) is a human universal [1] yet is not commonly observed in other species [2]. Does this ability reflect a brain specialization for music cognition, or does it build on neural circuitry that ordinarily serves other functions? According to the "vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization" hypothesis [3], entrainment to a musical beat relies on the neural circuitry for complex vocal learning, an ability that requires a tight link between auditory and motor circuits in the brain [4, 5]. This hypothesis predicts that only vocal learning species (such as humans and some birds, cetaceans, and pinnipeds, but not nonhuman primates) are capable of synchronizing movements to a musical beat. Here we report experimental evidence for synchronization to a beat in a sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita eleonora). By manipulating the tempo of a musical excerpt across a wide range, we show that the animal spontaneously adjusts the tempo of its rhythmic movements to stay synchronized with the beat. These findings indicate that synchronization to a musical beat is not uniquely human and suggest that animal models can provide insights into the neurobiology and evolution of human music [6].
Patel
Aniruddh D
AD
The Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. apatel@nsi.edu
Iversen
John R
JR
Bregman
Micah R
MR
Schulz
Irena
I
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003615:Dancing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D010507:Periodicity; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology*