Patel Aniruddh D, Iversen John R, Bregman Micah R, Schulz Irena
The Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, USA.
Curr Biol. 2009 May 26;19(10):827-30. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.03.038. Epub 2009 Apr 30.
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].
与音乐节拍进行节奏同步运动的倾向（例如，通过点头、跺脚或跳舞）是人类共有的现象[1]，但在其他物种中并不常见[2]。这种能力是反映了大脑对音乐认知的专门化，还是基于通常服务于其他功能的神经回路呢？根据“声乐学习与节奏同步”假说[3]，与音乐节拍同步依赖于用于复杂声乐学习的神经回路，这种能力需要大脑中听觉和运动回路之间紧密相连[4,5]。该假说预测，只有声乐学习物种（如人类以及一些鸟类、鲸类和鳍足类动物，但不包括非人类灵长类动物）能够将动作与音乐节拍同步。在此，我们报告了一只硫冠凤头鹦鹉（Cacatua galerita eleonora）与节拍同步的实验证据。通过在很宽的范围内操纵一段音乐摘录的节奏，我们表明这只动物会自发地调整其节奏运动的节奏，以与节拍保持同步。这些发现表明，与音乐节拍同步并非人类所独有，并表明动物模型可以为人类音乐的神经生物学和进化提供见解[6]。
