Lemurs reveal our rhythmic roots

A study of lemurs, a type of primate from the island country of Madagascar, in Africa, could offer important clues as to how humans evolved to create music. Scientists studied how indris, a species known as “singing lemurs,” communicate with one another. The animals live in small family groups in the rainforest and produce honk-like calls. These calls follow a steady beat, similar to the beat in human-made music. This is called isochrony. Researchers observed that the indris sing when greeting each other, when they lose sight of one another in the forest, or to alert family members to nearby predators. They also have loud singing battles with other groups of lemurs. Scientists say singing helps the animals bond with one another. Dr. Chiara De Gregorio from the University of…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 226

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