Did we invent rhythm, or did we discover it?

Or were we born with it?

I choose door number three.

I think it evolved, and I think the evidence is overwhelming.

Rhythm, first off, is a human universal.

It exists and has existed in every single human

culture that has ever been documented. So, anybody who argues against the evolution of the

beat is trapped in an argumentative corner with only two escape groups and their bad ones.

They can either argue that every single culture on earth independently created or discovered

music, which is obviously ludicrous unless you argue that humans are somehow predestined

to rediscover or recreate music, in which case we are back to the evolutionary perspective,

or the other option is to suggest that all cultures descend from some mother culture,

which contained music, which assumes a remarkable cultural transmission rate,

so remarkable, I would argue, that at some point you

are just conceding that it's evolutionary. And at a smaller level, at the level of the individual,

it does seem that rhythm, musical rhythm, is an evolved trait rather than a learned behavior.

Human babies seem to get music from the get-go.

And some of you may be thinking, well, why does Mackin keep saying human this and human that?

Surely all animals have rhythm to some extent.

Every heartbeat, every breath, every day, every season, every changing of the tide has rhythm.

It is so ubiquitous in nature.

But, surprise, surprise, rhythm, the ability to

...