http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(09)00890-2
Experimental Evidence for Synchronization to a Musical Beat in a Nonhuman
Animal
Aniruddh D. Patel1,,,John R. Iversen1,Micah R. Bregman1,2andIrena Schulz3
1 The Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, CA
92121, USA
2 Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego,
9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
3 Bird Lovers Only Rescue Service, P.O. Box 552, Dyer, IN 46311, USA
Corresponding author
SUMMARY
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].
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