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P24. The Birds And The Beats: Perception Of A Beat In An Avian Model, Brendon Samuels
P24. The Birds And The Beats: Perception Of A Beat In An Avian Model, Brendon Samuels
Western Research Forum
Background: Beat perception is a complex cognitive skill that enables humans to “feel” the beat in music, and is an essential component of synchronization of behavior and dance. The mechanisms in the human brain that facilitate beat perception are not entirely understood, and have only been studied thus far using non-invasive techniques. Some animals, such as songbirds, also seem to be able to detect a beat in rhythms, though this has never been formally tested independent of motor synchronization.
Methods: An operant experiment is used to assess if European starlings, a type of songbird, are capable of categorizing …