An interesting article came across my feed, and I thought I would share it as it is fantastic; if you are a nature nerd like me anyway.
Beyond the steady thumping of our hearts, rhythm is omnipresent in our lives. As babies and children, we were rocked to sleep. As grownups, a driving beat is all it takes to get most of us moving. It’s connected to our sense of time passing, since when we hear a series of beats, we anticipate when the next one will land. If our expectations aren’t quite met, we feel it. Savvy drummers know that when they plant a backbeat ever-so-slightly late, we perceive the rhythm as soulful or funky. When it comes just a shade early, we feel a sense of urgency.
It’s unclear exactly which other animals also possess an awareness of rhythm. Studies suggest that songbirds and parrots have some sense of rhythm, but evidence on the ability within other animals is sparse.
Across human cultures and musical styles worldwide, people share an awareness of “categorical rhythm.” The term describes a rhythm in which the time between successive beats is consistent or precisely doubled, regardless of the rhythm’s tempo, or speed. That is, successive beats with a 1:1 ratio or a 1:2 ratio.
Our sense of rhythm isn’t without limitations, though. Previous research has found that if the time between notes is too long — three seconds or greater — we get lost.
The research took over twelve years. By listening to the vocalizations of 20 groups of lemur in the endangered rainforest, researchers were able to confirm:
It turned out that indri songs are structured in categorical 1:1 or 2:1 ratios. Although males and females tend to sing at different tempos, their beats remained categorical. This makes the indri the first known nonhuman mammal with rhythm.
The groups also harmonize with each other; sometimes, they sing as a chorus.
Another interesting tidbit in the study (behind a paywall; published in Current Biology) was a “common human musical technique, the ritardando, where rhythm is deliberately slowed. In human music, this is typically done for dramatic purposes.”
I’m sure it’s no surprise that this marvelous creature is critically endangered, as are so many others across Madagascar and the planet. The lemurs reside in a forest biome, the most diverse biome with the most variety of plants and mammals. Madagascar is a large island off the Mozambique coast in the Indian Ocean. It is about the size of Texas, with a variety of biomes at serious risk of collpase.
In Madagascar, only 10 percent of the rainforests remain. Thirteen hundred species are endangered, including the indri.
The infrastructure for deforestation and mining interests has introduced poachers who kidnap species for the black market. Climate change will only drive a stake through the islands heart.
To help the biodiversity of Madagascar, you can donate to the Madagascar Rainforest Trust.
For action — Rainforest Action Network
The trailer below shows what is at risk and urgently needed solutions, but more importantly, it illustrates the beauty of a now preserved rainforest.
And yes, I know, the indri having rhythm is not breaking news. I didn’t know about it, and I suspect I’m not alone. I could use a distraction from all the evil that seems to be consuming the world right now. For a few moments anyway, this story fits the bill.
Mahalo