title: What Pinnipeds Have to Say about Human Speech, Music, and the Evolution of Rhythm.
abstract: Research on the evolution of human speech and music benefits from hypotheses and data generated in a number of disciplines. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the high relevance of pinniped research for the study of speech, musical rhythm, and their origins, bridging and complementing current research on primates and birds. We briefly discuss speech, vocal learning, and rhythm from an evolutionary and comparative perspective. We review the current state of the art on pinniped communication and behavior relevant to the evolution of human speech and music, showing interesting parallels to hypotheses on rhythmic behavior in early hominids. We suggest future research directions in terms of species to test and empirical data needed.
authors.affiliation: Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit BrusselBrussels, Belgium; Sensory and Cognitive Ecology, Institute for Biosciences, University of RostockRostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravignani
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: W Tecumseh
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Fitch
authors.affiliation: Sensory and Cognitive Ecology, Institute for Biosciences, University of Rostock Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Frederike D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Hanke
authors.affiliation: Sensory and Cognitive Ecology, Institute for Biosciences, University of Rostock Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.affiliation: Chemnitz Zoo Chemnitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hurgitsch
authors.affiliation: Basic and Applied NeuroDynamics Lab, Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht UniversityMaastricht, Netherlands; Department of Neuropsychology, Max-Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Sonja A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kotz
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Behavior, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Constance
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scharff
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Angela S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Stoeger
authors.affiliation: Artificial Intelligence Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Boer
keywords: entrainment; evolution of language; evolution of music; evolution of speech; seal; synchronization; timing; vocal learning