Spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner
Rhythm and vocal production learning are building blocks of human music and speech. Vocal learning has been hypothesized as a prerequisite for rhythmic capacities. Yet, no mammalian vocal learner but humans have shown the capacity to flexibly and spontaneously discriminate rhythmic patterns. Here we...
Published in: | Biology Letters |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Royal Society Publishing
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1682612 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0316 |
id |
ftunivromairis:oai:iris.uniroma1.it:11573/1682612 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivromairis:oai:iris.uniroma1.it:11573/1682612 2024-04-14T08:12:46+00:00 Spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner Verga L. Sroka M. G. U. Varola M. Villanueva S. Ravignani A. Verga, L. Sroka, M. G. U. Varola, M. Villanueva, S. Ravignani, A. 2022 https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1682612 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0316 eng eng Royal Society Publishing info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000876878500003 volume:18 issue:10 journal:BIOLOGY LETTERS https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1682612 doi:10.1098/rsbl.2022.0316 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85140664124 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess auditory perception biology of music evolution of rhythm harbour seal rhythm perception vocal production learning info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2022 ftunivromairis https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0316 2024-03-21T18:20:31Z Rhythm and vocal production learning are building blocks of human music and speech. Vocal learning has been hypothesized as a prerequisite for rhythmic capacities. Yet, no mammalian vocal learner but humans have shown the capacity to flexibly and spontaneously discriminate rhythmic patterns. Here we tested untrained rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learning species, the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Twenty wild-born seals were exposed to music-like playbacks of conspecific call sequences varying in basic rhythmic properties. These properties were called length, sequence regularity, and overall tempo. All three features significantly influenced seals' reaction (number of looks and their duration), demonstrating spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a vocal learning mammal. This finding supports the rhythm-vocal learning hypothesis and showcases pinnipeds as promising models for comparative research on rhythmic phylogenies. Article in Journal/Newspaper harbour seal Phoca vitulina Sapienza Università di Roma: CINECA IRIS Biology Letters 18 10 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Sapienza Università di Roma: CINECA IRIS |
op_collection_id |
ftunivromairis |
language |
English |
topic |
auditory perception biology of music evolution of rhythm harbour seal rhythm perception vocal production learning |
spellingShingle |
auditory perception biology of music evolution of rhythm harbour seal rhythm perception vocal production learning Verga L. Sroka M. G. U. Varola M. Villanueva S. Ravignani A. Spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner |
topic_facet |
auditory perception biology of music evolution of rhythm harbour seal rhythm perception vocal production learning |
description |
Rhythm and vocal production learning are building blocks of human music and speech. Vocal learning has been hypothesized as a prerequisite for rhythmic capacities. Yet, no mammalian vocal learner but humans have shown the capacity to flexibly and spontaneously discriminate rhythmic patterns. Here we tested untrained rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learning species, the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina). Twenty wild-born seals were exposed to music-like playbacks of conspecific call sequences varying in basic rhythmic properties. These properties were called length, sequence regularity, and overall tempo. All three features significantly influenced seals' reaction (number of looks and their duration), demonstrating spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a vocal learning mammal. This finding supports the rhythm-vocal learning hypothesis and showcases pinnipeds as promising models for comparative research on rhythmic phylogenies. |
author2 |
Verga, L. Sroka, M. G. U. Varola, M. Villanueva, S. Ravignani, A. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Verga L. Sroka M. G. U. Varola M. Villanueva S. Ravignani A. |
author_facet |
Verga L. Sroka M. G. U. Varola M. Villanueva S. Ravignani A. |
author_sort |
Verga L. |
title |
Spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner |
title_short |
Spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner |
title_full |
Spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner |
title_fullStr |
Spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner |
title_sort |
spontaneous rhythm discrimination in a mammalian vocal learner |
publisher |
Royal Society Publishing |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1682612 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0316 |
genre |
harbour seal Phoca vitulina |
genre_facet |
harbour seal Phoca vitulina |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000876878500003 volume:18 issue:10 journal:BIOLOGY LETTERS https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1682612 doi:10.1098/rsbl.2022.0316 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-85140664124 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0316 |
container_title |
Biology Letters |
container_volume |
18 |
container_issue |
10 |
_version_ |
1796310611456425984 |