Slaves to the rhythm: rats can't resist a good beat, researchers say [View all]

Study finds rats instinctively move in time to music – an ability previously thought to be uniquely human

Hannah Devlin Science correspondent
@hannahdev
Fri 11 Nov 2022 14.00 EST

Music makes you lose control, Missy Elliott once sang on a hit that is almost impossible to hear without bopping along. Now scientists have discovered that rats also find rhythmic beats irresistible, showing how they instinctively move in time to music.

This ability was previously thought to be uniquely human and scientists say the discovery provides insights into the animal mind and the origins of music and dance.

“Rats displayed innate – that is, without any training or prior exposure to music – beat synchronisation,” said Dr Hirokazu Takahashi of the University of Tokyo. “Music exerts a strong appeal to the brain and has profound effects on emotion and cognition,” he added.

While there have been previous demonstrations of animals dancing along to music – TikTok has a wealth of examples – the study is one of the first scientific investigations of the phenomenon.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/nov/11/rat-instictively-move-time-music-ability-previously-thought-uniquely-human-study