The capacity to perceive rhythm and to produce novel vocalizations are crucial for human speech and music. Do other mammals possess these capacities? (IMAGE)
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The capacity to perceive rhythm and to produce novel vocalizations are crucial for human speech and music. Do other mammals possess these capacities? Researchers tested rhythm processing in seals; like humans, seals learn vocalizations. It was found that, spontaneously and without training, young seals perceive the rhythmicity of other seals’ vocalizations and discriminate between more vs. less rhythmic sound sequences. These results show that another mammal, apart from us, shows rhythm processing and vocalization learning and suggest that these two skills coevolved in both humans and seals.
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Laura Verga
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