A 2025 Science experiment trained two macaque monkeys to tap in time with pop songs (e.g., Backstreet Boys) using juice rewards; the animals produced beat‑aligned taps despite macaques being classified as non‑vocal learners. This finding undermines the simple claim that beat synchronization requires complex vocal imitation and suggests alternative neural or motor pathways (e.g., entrainment, predictive timing) can support rhythmic cognition.
— If beat perception isn’t tied solely to vocal learning, theories about the evolutionary origins of music and speech must be revised, affecting neuroscience research priorities, AI models of sensorimotor timing, and public claims about human uniqueness.
Kristen French
2026.01.10
45% relevant
Both items use macaque experiments to reveal cognitive capacities conserved across primates. While the matched idea showed surprising rhythmic/learning abilities in macaques, this article uses the same animal model and invasive recording methods (Kyoto Univ., Current Biology) to expose separable motivational circuits—together they strengthen a recurring public discourse point that primate neuroscience can illuminate human cognition and its policy implications.
Molly Glick
2025.12.01
100% relevant
Rajendran et al. (Science, 2025) trained two adult male macaques to synchronize hand taps to several pieces of human music (tempos accessible to people), reporting successful alignment to the beat.
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