title: The evolution of dance.
abstract: Evidence from multiple sources reveals a surprising link between imitation and dance. As in the classical correspondence problem central to imitation research, dance requires mapping across sensory modalities and the integration of visual and auditory inputs with motor outputs. Recent research in comparative psychology supports this association, in that entrainment to a musical beat is almost exclusively observed in animals capable of vocal or motor imitation. Dance has representational properties that rely on the dancers' ability to imitate particular people, animals or events, as well as the audience's ability to recognize these correspondences. Imitation also plays a central role in learning to dance and the acquisition of the long sequences of choreographed movements are dependent on social learning. These and other lines of evidence suggest that dancing may only be possible for humans because its performance exploits existing neural circuitry employed in imitation.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of St Andrews, UK.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laland
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Clive
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK; Rambert, 99 Upper Ground, London, UK. Electronic address: nsc22@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Nicky
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clayton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003615:Dancing / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D007858:Learning; D009068:Movement; D009146:Music