The Experts below are selected from a list of 240 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Aniruddh D Patel - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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spontaneity and diversity of movement to music are not uniquely human
Current Biology, 2019Co-Authors: Joanne Jao R Keehn, John R Iversen, Irena Schulz, Aniruddh D PatelAbstract:Summary Spontaneous movement to music occurs in every human culture and is a foundation of dance [1] . This response to music is absent in most species (including monkeys), yet it occurs in parrots, perhaps because they (like humans, and unlike monkeys) are vocal learners whose brains contain strong auditory–motor connections, conferring sophisticated audiomotor processing abilities 2 , 3 . Previous research has shown that parrots can bob their heads or lift their feet in synchrony with a musical beat 2 , 3 , but humans move to music using a wide variety of movements and body parts. Is this also true of parrots? If so, it would constrain theories of how movement to music is controlled by parrot brains. Specifically, as head bobbing is part of parrot courtship displays [4] and foot lifting is part of locomotion, these may be innate movements controlled by central pattern generators which become entrained by auditory rhythms, without the involvement of complex motor planning. This would be unlike humans, where movement to music engages cortical networks including frontal and parietal areas [5] . Rich diversity in parrot movement to music would suggest a strong contribution of forebrain regions to this behavior, perhaps including motor learning regions abutting the complex vocal-learning ‘shell’ regions that are unique to parrots among vocal learning birds [6] . Here we report that a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita eleonora) responds to music with remarkably diverse spontaneous movements employing a variety of body parts, and suggest why parrots share this response with humans.
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THE NEUROSCIENCES AND MUSIC II I—DISORDERS AND PLASTICITY Studying Synchronization to a Musical Beat in Nonhuman Animals
2016Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John A R. Iversen, Micah A R. Bregman, Irena SchulzcAbstract:The recent discovery of spontaneous synchronization to music in a nonhuman animal (the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) raises several questions. How does this behavior differ from nonmusical synchronization abilities in other species, such as synchronized frog calls or firefly flashes? What significance does the behavior have for debates over the evolution of human music? What kinds of animals can syn-chronize to musical rhythms, and what are the key methodological issues for research in this area? This paper addresses these questions and proposes some refinements to the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization hypothesis.
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Studying synchronization to a musical beat in nonhuman animals.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract:The recent discovery of spontaneous synchronization to music in a nonhuman animal (the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) raises several questions. How does this behavior differ from nonmusical synchronization abilities in other species, such as synchronized frog calls or firefly flashes? What significance does the behavior have for debates over the evolution of human music? What kinds of animals can synchronize to musical rhythms, and what are the key methodological issues for research in this area? This paper addresses these questions and proposes some refinements to the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization hypothesis.”
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experimental evidence for synchronization to a musical beat in a nonhuman animal
Current Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract: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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Avian and human movement to music: Two further parallels
Communicative & Integrative Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract:It has recently been demonstrated that a nonhuman animal (the medium Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) can entrain its rhythmic movements to the beat of human music across a wide range of tempi. Entrainment occurrs in “synchronized bouts”, occasional stretches of synchrony embedded in longer sequences of rhythmic movement to music. Here we examine non-synchronized rhythmic movements made while dancing to music, and find strong evidence for a preferred tempo around 126 beats per minute [bpm]. The animal shows best synchronization to music when the musical tempo is near this preferred tempo. The tendency to dance to music at a preferred tempo, and to synchronize best when the music is near this tempo, parallels how young humans move to music. These findings support the idea that avian and human synchronization to music have similar neurobiological foundations.
Irena Schulz - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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spontaneity and diversity of movement to music are not uniquely human
Current Biology, 2019Co-Authors: Joanne Jao R Keehn, John R Iversen, Irena Schulz, Aniruddh D PatelAbstract:Summary Spontaneous movement to music occurs in every human culture and is a foundation of dance [1] . This response to music is absent in most species (including monkeys), yet it occurs in parrots, perhaps because they (like humans, and unlike monkeys) are vocal learners whose brains contain strong auditory–motor connections, conferring sophisticated audiomotor processing abilities 2 , 3 . Previous research has shown that parrots can bob their heads or lift their feet in synchrony with a musical beat 2 , 3 , but humans move to music using a wide variety of movements and body parts. Is this also true of parrots? If so, it would constrain theories of how movement to music is controlled by parrot brains. Specifically, as head bobbing is part of parrot courtship displays [4] and foot lifting is part of locomotion, these may be innate movements controlled by central pattern generators which become entrained by auditory rhythms, without the involvement of complex motor planning. This would be unlike humans, where movement to music engages cortical networks including frontal and parietal areas [5] . Rich diversity in parrot movement to music would suggest a strong contribution of forebrain regions to this behavior, perhaps including motor learning regions abutting the complex vocal-learning ‘shell’ regions that are unique to parrots among vocal learning birds [6] . Here we report that a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita eleonora) responds to music with remarkably diverse spontaneous movements employing a variety of body parts, and suggest why parrots share this response with humans.
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Studying synchronization to a musical beat in nonhuman animals.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract:The recent discovery of spontaneous synchronization to music in a nonhuman animal (the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) raises several questions. How does this behavior differ from nonmusical synchronization abilities in other species, such as synchronized frog calls or firefly flashes? What significance does the behavior have for debates over the evolution of human music? What kinds of animals can synchronize to musical rhythms, and what are the key methodological issues for research in this area? This paper addresses these questions and proposes some refinements to the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization hypothesis.”
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experimental evidence for synchronization to a musical beat in a nonhuman animal
Current Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract: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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Avian and human movement to music: Two further parallels
Communicative & Integrative Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract:It has recently been demonstrated that a nonhuman animal (the medium Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) can entrain its rhythmic movements to the beat of human music across a wide range of tempi. Entrainment occurrs in “synchronized bouts”, occasional stretches of synchrony embedded in longer sequences of rhythmic movement to music. Here we examine non-synchronized rhythmic movements made while dancing to music, and find strong evidence for a preferred tempo around 126 beats per minute [bpm]. The animal shows best synchronization to music when the musical tempo is near this preferred tempo. The tendency to dance to music at a preferred tempo, and to synchronize best when the music is near this tempo, parallels how young humans move to music. These findings support the idea that avian and human synchronization to music have similar neurobiological foundations.
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Investigating the human-specificity of synchronization to music
2008Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Irena Schulz, Micah R. Bregman, Charles SchulzAbstract:One universal of human music perception is the tendency to move in synchrony with a periodic beat (e.g., in dance). This response is not commonly observed in nonhuman animals, raising the possibility that this behavior relies on brain circuits shaped by natural selection for music. Consequently, if a nonhuman animal can acquire this ability, this would inform debates over the evolutionary status of music. Specifically, such evidence would suggest that this ability did not originate as an evolutionary adaptation for music. We present data from an experimental study of synchronization to music in a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita eleanora), “Snowball”, who spontaneously dances in response to certain music (see YouTube: “dancing Cockatoo”). Snowball’s preferred song was presented at different tempi (original, +/- 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%), and his rhythmic movements while dancing were quantified from video. The results reveal occasional bouts of synchronization at a subset of these tempi on ~20% of the trials. This demonstrates that a nonhuman animal can synchronize to a musical beat, though with limited reliability and tempo flexibility. These findings are consistent with the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization” hypothesis, which suggests that vocal learning provides the auditory-motor foundation for synchronization to a musical beat.
Micah R. Bregman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Studying synchronization to a musical beat in nonhuman animals.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract:The recent discovery of spontaneous synchronization to music in a nonhuman animal (the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) raises several questions. How does this behavior differ from nonmusical synchronization abilities in other species, such as synchronized frog calls or firefly flashes? What significance does the behavior have for debates over the evolution of human music? What kinds of animals can synchronize to musical rhythms, and what are the key methodological issues for research in this area? This paper addresses these questions and proposes some refinements to the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization hypothesis.”
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experimental evidence for synchronization to a musical beat in a nonhuman animal
Current Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract: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].
-
Avian and human movement to music: Two further parallels
Communicative & Integrative Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract:It has recently been demonstrated that a nonhuman animal (the medium Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) can entrain its rhythmic movements to the beat of human music across a wide range of tempi. Entrainment occurrs in “synchronized bouts”, occasional stretches of synchrony embedded in longer sequences of rhythmic movement to music. Here we examine non-synchronized rhythmic movements made while dancing to music, and find strong evidence for a preferred tempo around 126 beats per minute [bpm]. The animal shows best synchronization to music when the musical tempo is near this preferred tempo. The tendency to dance to music at a preferred tempo, and to synchronize best when the music is near this tempo, parallels how young humans move to music. These findings support the idea that avian and human synchronization to music have similar neurobiological foundations.
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Investigating the human-specificity of synchronization to music
2008Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Irena Schulz, Micah R. Bregman, Charles SchulzAbstract:One universal of human music perception is the tendency to move in synchrony with a periodic beat (e.g., in dance). This response is not commonly observed in nonhuman animals, raising the possibility that this behavior relies on brain circuits shaped by natural selection for music. Consequently, if a nonhuman animal can acquire this ability, this would inform debates over the evolutionary status of music. Specifically, such evidence would suggest that this ability did not originate as an evolutionary adaptation for music. We present data from an experimental study of synchronization to music in a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita eleanora), “Snowball”, who spontaneously dances in response to certain music (see YouTube: “dancing Cockatoo”). Snowball’s preferred song was presented at different tempi (original, +/- 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%), and his rhythmic movements while dancing were quantified from video. The results reveal occasional bouts of synchronization at a subset of these tempi on ~20% of the trials. This demonstrates that a nonhuman animal can synchronize to a musical beat, though with limited reliability and tempo flexibility. These findings are consistent with the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization” hypothesis, which suggests that vocal learning provides the auditory-motor foundation for synchronization to a musical beat.
Peter Upcroft - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Barcoding of Giardia duodenalis isolates and derived lines from an established cryobank by a mutation scanning‐based approach
Electrophoresis, 2011Co-Authors: Matthew J. Nolan, Peter Upcroft, Aaron R. Jex, J.a. Upcroft, Robin B. GasserAbstract:We barcoded 25 in vitro isolates (representing 92 samples) of Giardia duodenalis from humans and other animals, which have been assembled by the Upcroft team at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research over a period of almost three decades. We used mutation scanning-coupled sequencing of loci in the triosephosphate isomerase (tpi), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) and beta-giardin (bg) genes, combined with phylogenetic analysis, to genetically characterise them. Specifically, the isolates (n = 14) of G. duodenalis from humans from Australia (AD113; BRIS/83/HEPU/106; BRIS/87/HEPU/713; BRIS/89/HEPU/1003; BRIS/91/HEPU/1279; BRIS/92/HEPU/1541; BRIS/92/HEPU/1590; BRIS/92/HEPU/2443; BRIS/93/HEPU/1706), Malaysia (KL/92/IMR/1106) and Afghanistan (WB), a cat from Australia (BAC2), a sheep from Canada (OAS1) and a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo from Australia (BRIS/95/HEPU/2041) represented assemblage A (sub-assemblage AI-1, AI-2 or AII-2); isolates (n = 10) from humans from Australia (BRIS/91/HEPU/1279; BRIS/92/HEPU/2342; BRIS/92/HEPU/2348; BRIS/93/HEPU/1638; BRIS/93/HEPU/1653; BRIS/93/HEPU/1705; BRIS/93/HEPU/1718; BRIS/93/HEPU/1727), Papua New Guinea (BRIS/92/HEPU/1487) and Canada (H7) represented assemblage B (sub-assemblage BIV); and an isolate from cattle from Australia (BRIS/92/HEPU/1709) had a match to assemblage E. Isolate BRIS/90/HEPU/1229 from a human from Australia was shown to represent a mixed population of assemblages A and B. These barcoded isolates (including stocks and derived lines) now allow direct comparisons of experimental data among laboratories and represent a massive resource for transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolic and functional genomic studies using advanced molecular technologies. (Nucleotide sequences reported in this paper are available in the GenBank database under accession nos. XXXXX-XXXXX).
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Immune and pathophysiological responses to different strains of Giardia duodenalis in neonatal mice.
International journal for parasitology, 2000Co-Authors: Angela L. Williamson, Jacqueline A Upcroft, Peter J. O'donoghue, Peter UpcroftAbstract:Abstract Numerous studies have demonstrated various strain differences between Giardia isolates, but little is known about the immunology and pathogenesis of infections. This study aimed to compare host responses to strains of Giardi duodenalis differing in levels of virulence and pathogenicity and, by doing so, elucidate the mechanisms via which pathogenic strains establish infections. Marked differences were found in the infection dynamics, histopathological responses and serum antibody responses of neonatal mice infected with either G. duodenalis strain BRIS/83/HEPU/106 (isolated from a human) or BRIS/95/HEPU/2041 (isolated from a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita ). Infections with the bird strain were more intense (6.7-times greater) and persisted longer (by 14 days) than infections with the human strain. The bird strain was more pathogenic and caused greater pathophysiological alteration to the gut mucosa, including increased villous atrophy, hyperplasia of goblet cells and vacuolated epithelial cells. Mice infected with the bird strain produced less serum anti- Giardia IgA and IgM, but more total (non-specific) serum IgA than those infected with the human strain of Giardia . This suggests that avian G. duodenalis strains are infective for mammalian hosts and may contribute to zoonotic infections. Furthermore, infection of mice with BRIS/95/HEPU/2041 serves as a good experimental model to provide further insight into the mechanisms via which G. duodenalis causes disease.
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Virulent Avian Giardia duodenalis Pathogenic for Mice
Parasitology today (Personal ed.), 1998Co-Authors: Jacqueline A Upcroft, P A Mcdonnell, Peter UpcroftAbstract:Early in 1995, a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo captured in the wild died along with several other cage mates, apparently of an overwhelming, acute infection of Giardia. Trophozoites isolated from the dead bird and established in traditional Giardia axenic medium were infective to mice and established chronic infections associated with weight gain impairment. Genetically and morphologically, the Giardia isolated from the bird belonged to the duodenalis group. Here, Jacqui Upcroft, Ann McDonnell and Peter Upcroft present data on pathogenic avian Giardia with he potential to contaminate watersheds and discuss the implications.
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lethal giardia from a wild caught sulphur crested Cockatoo cacatua galerita established in vitro chronically infects mice
Parasitology, 1997Co-Authors: Jacqueline A Upcroft, P A Mcdonnell, A N Gallagher, Nanhua Chen, Peter UpcroftAbstract:An axenic culture of Giardia was established from a sample of infected intestine obtained following autopsy of a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita). The Cockatoo recently captured in the wild and with good muscle tone died along with several other cage mates, apparently of an overwhelming, acute infection of Giardia. Trophozoites which established in the traditional, axenic Giardia medium (TYI-S-33 with supplementary bile) were morphologically identical to G. duodenalis. When outbred Quackenbush Swiss neonatal mice were infected with trophozoites a chronic infection was established and parasites were still present at 38 days post-inoculation. Weight gain by infected mice was reduced by 20%, thus mimicking failure-to-thrive syndrome in children, and maximum parasite load was more than 3-fold higher in comparison with other G. duodenalis strains. Analysis of the electrophoretic karyotype, rDNA and hybridization studies together with Giemsa- and trichrome-stained samples, and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the bird-derived Giardia belonged to the duodenalis group. This is the first report of infection of mammals with Giardia isolated from a bird. These data may have potentially serious implications for contamination of watersheds and establishment of zoonotic infections.
John R Iversen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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spontaneity and diversity of movement to music are not uniquely human
Current Biology, 2019Co-Authors: Joanne Jao R Keehn, John R Iversen, Irena Schulz, Aniruddh D PatelAbstract:Summary Spontaneous movement to music occurs in every human culture and is a foundation of dance [1] . This response to music is absent in most species (including monkeys), yet it occurs in parrots, perhaps because they (like humans, and unlike monkeys) are vocal learners whose brains contain strong auditory–motor connections, conferring sophisticated audiomotor processing abilities 2 , 3 . Previous research has shown that parrots can bob their heads or lift their feet in synchrony with a musical beat 2 , 3 , but humans move to music using a wide variety of movements and body parts. Is this also true of parrots? If so, it would constrain theories of how movement to music is controlled by parrot brains. Specifically, as head bobbing is part of parrot courtship displays [4] and foot lifting is part of locomotion, these may be innate movements controlled by central pattern generators which become entrained by auditory rhythms, without the involvement of complex motor planning. This would be unlike humans, where movement to music engages cortical networks including frontal and parietal areas [5] . Rich diversity in parrot movement to music would suggest a strong contribution of forebrain regions to this behavior, perhaps including motor learning regions abutting the complex vocal-learning ‘shell’ regions that are unique to parrots among vocal learning birds [6] . Here we report that a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita eleonora) responds to music with remarkably diverse spontaneous movements employing a variety of body parts, and suggest why parrots share this response with humans.
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Studying synchronization to a musical beat in nonhuman animals.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract:The recent discovery of spontaneous synchronization to music in a nonhuman animal (the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) raises several questions. How does this behavior differ from nonmusical synchronization abilities in other species, such as synchronized frog calls or firefly flashes? What significance does the behavior have for debates over the evolution of human music? What kinds of animals can synchronize to musical rhythms, and what are the key methodological issues for research in this area? This paper addresses these questions and proposes some refinements to the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization hypothesis.”
-
experimental evidence for synchronization to a musical beat in a nonhuman animal
Current Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract: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].
-
Avian and human movement to music: Two further parallels
Communicative & Integrative Biology, 2009Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Micah R. Bregman, Irena SchulzAbstract:It has recently been demonstrated that a nonhuman animal (the medium Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita eleonora) can entrain its rhythmic movements to the beat of human music across a wide range of tempi. Entrainment occurrs in “synchronized bouts”, occasional stretches of synchrony embedded in longer sequences of rhythmic movement to music. Here we examine non-synchronized rhythmic movements made while dancing to music, and find strong evidence for a preferred tempo around 126 beats per minute [bpm]. The animal shows best synchronization to music when the musical tempo is near this preferred tempo. The tendency to dance to music at a preferred tempo, and to synchronize best when the music is near this tempo, parallels how young humans move to music. These findings support the idea that avian and human synchronization to music have similar neurobiological foundations.
-
Investigating the human-specificity of synchronization to music
2008Co-Authors: Aniruddh D Patel, John R Iversen, Irena Schulz, Micah R. Bregman, Charles SchulzAbstract:One universal of human music perception is the tendency to move in synchrony with a periodic beat (e.g., in dance). This response is not commonly observed in nonhuman animals, raising the possibility that this behavior relies on brain circuits shaped by natural selection for music. Consequently, if a nonhuman animal can acquire this ability, this would inform debates over the evolutionary status of music. Specifically, such evidence would suggest that this ability did not originate as an evolutionary adaptation for music. We present data from an experimental study of synchronization to music in a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita eleanora), “Snowball”, who spontaneously dances in response to certain music (see YouTube: “dancing Cockatoo”). Snowball’s preferred song was presented at different tempi (original, +/- 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%), and his rhythmic movements while dancing were quantified from video. The results reveal occasional bouts of synchronization at a subset of these tempi on ~20% of the trials. This demonstrates that a nonhuman animal can synchronize to a musical beat, though with limited reliability and tempo flexibility. These findings are consistent with the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization” hypothesis, which suggests that vocal learning provides the auditory-motor foundation for synchronization to a musical beat.
