Move over, humans—lemurs have rhythm, too

Short Wave

NPR

Science, Life Sciences, News, Nature, Daily News, Astronomy

4.7 • 6.5K Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2023

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There's a lot for scientists to learn about the origins of humans' musical abilities. In the last few years, though, they've discovered homo sapiens have some company in our ability to make musical rhythm. That's why today, producer Berly McCoy brings the story of singing lemurs. She explains how their harmonies could help answer questions about the beginnings of humans' musical abilities, and what all of this has to do with Queen.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to shortwave from NPR.
0:04.3	Hello there shortwaveers, Erin Scott here with producer Berly McCoy.
0:09.6	Hello Berly.
0:10.6	Oh no what is that?
0:15.8	Those are lemurs hi Erin.
0:18.8	Okay lemurs I'm getting a sense of what story you're bringing us today.
0:23.5	What are we talking about?
0:25.5	Exactly it's everyone's favorite singing lemurs.
0:29.2	Everyone's favorite you say.
0:31.2	Berly what was the sample size on this pull?
0:33.6	Okay maybe it was a little small but I promise Erin this one's going to be fun.
0:38.8	I trust you wholeheartedly so tell us a little bit about what's so interesting about singing
0:43.6	lemurs.
0:44.6	So much so much but let's listen to him again first.
0:47.9	I'm all he is.
0:52.9	Oh it's so beautiful and haunting and also a little bit like whale sounds meets air horns.
1:04.7	Right it was definitely not what I expected.
1:07.6	These recordings are from scientists who collected the songs from lemurs in Madagascar
1:12.8	over the course of 12 years and when the scientists listen closely to the recordings
1:18.2	they found something that's only ever been found in birds and humans a kind of musical
1:24.3	rhythm.
1:25.3	Okay now it makes sense why you sent me that video of a dancing bird from 10 years ago.
	...

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