The origin of music, much like the origin of language, has been a topic of speculation for a long time. Charles Darwin believed that our ancestors started singing during courtship to attract mates. Others think that music may have evolved from ancestral traits like territorial calls. A recent study suggests that the ability to produce and perceive rhythm might be more ancient than previously believed.
Researchers from the University of Warwick, the University of Torino, and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics studied Madagascan lemurs, who are known to make rhythmic “honks” during their alarm calls. These lemurs can also sing on a beat, a rare trait in the animal kingdom. The researchers found that lemurs can co-sing certain parts of their song with other group members, forming a choir.
The rhythmic calls produced by these lemurs suggest that the sense of rhythm is deeply rooted in our evolutionary journey. Dr. Chiara De Gregorio, from Warwick’s Department of Psychology, believes that rhythm may have evolved for reasons other than just music. The researchers analyzed recorded calls from 51 indri lemurs in Madagascar and identified three distinct types of rhythm: 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1.
Rhythmic isochrony, similar to the ticking of a clock, is rare in human speech but common in music. Its presence in indri vocalizations suggests that it might be an ancient feature shared by common ancestors of humans and primates. However, indri lemurs are critically endangered due to habitat destruction, with fewer than 10,000 individuals left in the wild.
Conservation efforts are underway to protect these unique lemurs and their singing through the forests of Madagascar. The researchers urge people to visit Madagascar now if they want to see these lemurs because their future is uncertain. The findings of the study were published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
The discovery of these singing lemurs and their rhythmic abilities sheds light on the evolutionary pathway of music. It shows that the foundational elements of human music can be traced back to early primate communication systems. This research not only deepens our understanding of the origins of music but also highlights the importance of conservation efforts to protect these rare and endangered species.
