endler-toolassistedrhythmic-2017.pdf (1.51 MB)
Tool-assisted rhythmic drumming in palm cockatoos shares key elements of human instrumental music
journal contribution
posted on 2017-06-01, 00:00 authored by R Heinsohn, C N Zdenek, R B Cunningham, John EndlerJohn Endler, N E LangmoreAll human societies have music with a rhythmic “beat,” typically produced with percussive instruments such as drums. The set of capacities that allows humans to produce and perceive music appears to be deeply rooted in human biology, but an understanding of its evolutionary origins requires cross-taxa comparisons. We show that drumming by palm cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus) shares the key rudiments of human instrumental music, including manufacture of a sound tool, performance in a consistent context, regular beat production, repeated
components, and individual styles. Over 131 drumming sequences produced by 18 males, the beats occurred at nonrandom, regular intervals, yet individual males differed significantly in the shape parameters describing the distribution of their beat patterns, indicating individual drumming styles. Autocorrelation analyses of the longest
drumming sequences further showed that they were highly regular and predictable like human music. These discoveries provide a rare comparative perspective on the evolution of rhythmicity and instrumental
music in our own species, and show that a preference for a regular beat can have other origins before being co-opted into group-based music and dance.
components, and individual styles. Over 131 drumming sequences produced by 18 males, the beats occurred at nonrandom, regular intervals, yet individual males differed significantly in the shape parameters describing the distribution of their beat patterns, indicating individual drumming styles. Autocorrelation analyses of the longest
drumming sequences further showed that they were highly regular and predictable like human music. These discoveries provide a rare comparative perspective on the evolution of rhythmicity and instrumental
music in our own species, and show that a preference for a regular beat can have other origins before being co-opted into group-based music and dance.
History
Journal
Science advancesVolume
3Issue
6Article number
e1602399Pagination
1 - 6Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of SciencesLocation
Washington, D.C.Publisher DOI
eISSN
2375-2548Language
engPublication classification
C Journal article; C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2017, The AuthorsUsage metrics
Categories
Keywords
palm cockatoos (Probosciger aterrimus)drumminginstrumental musicRhythmevolution of rhythmicityregular beatPercussionScience & TechnologyMultidisciplinary SciencesScience & Technology - Other TopicsEVOLUTIONENTRAINMENTBIOLOGYBEATSONGanimal tool usebiomusicalityevolution of rhythmEvolutionary Impacts of Climate Change
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