ArticleScientific reports2025
Sensorimotor synchronization to rhythm in an experienced sea lion rivals that of humans.
Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Cortico-striatal network architecture shapes rhythmic biases in music.Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) · 2026Article
- Critical Review on the Development and Evolution of Beat Perception.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2026Review
- Review
- Extreme Rhythm Keeping in Long-Range Slow Click Communication of Sperm Whales.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2026Article
- Novel Approach to Inter-Onset-Interval Ratio Uncovers Music-Like Rhythmic Patterns in Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) Warble Song.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2026Article
- Article
- Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) can show spontaneous vocal flexibility when exposed to dynamically changing rhythmic sounds.Animal cognition · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Is human beat keeping unique among vertebrates? The only non-human data showing consistent and lagless beat matching to novel stimuli, including music, come from Ronan, a trained sea lion [Cook et al., J. Comp. Psychol., 127(4):412-427]. Ronan's convincing demonstration of adaptive auditory-motoric entrainment at age 3 years showed stronger tempo-phase relationships and higher variability than reported in similar studies of human subjects. This apparent performance mismatch has been used to suggest the mechanisms underlying her beat keeping ability are not isomorphic with those of humans. However, in the twelve years since our original report, Ronan has continued intermittent beat-keeping practice. Comparative arguments should consider her improved performance with increased experience and evaluate her ability against human subjects performing similar rhythmic tasks. Here, we report Ronan's contemporary ability to synchronize head movements with novel metronomic sounds presented at novel tempos. We also provide data for ten humans moving in time to the same stimuli using a comfortable arm motion with similar amplitude. This sea lion's sensorimotor synchronization was precise, consistent, and indistinguishable from or superior to that of typical adults. These findings challenge claims of unique neurobiological adaptations for beat keeping in humans.
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