"MADAGASCAR – It turns out that the Indri Indri lemurs of Madagascar can carry a tune. Researchers have found that these furry, tree-dwelling creatures use music to communicate with one another, likely for generations. Through collecting songs and calls produced by 20 indri groups in Madagascar’s rainforests over the span of 15 years, the scientists have found that indri songs exhibit rhythmic patterns that are common in human music. One particular rhythm even echoes the stomp-clap beginning of Queen’s We Will Rock You.
The finding that these “singing lemurs” produce rhythmic calls provides an evolutionary pathway that may explain the origin of music. The study’s authors suggest that “the foundational elements of human music can be traced back to early primate communication systems.” While this is just a theory, this study is the first step to finding out more. It’s also a call to protect this critically endangered species.
As one of the study’s authors, Chiara De Gregorio, says: “These findings are a good reminder of how we are animals ourselves, and we live in a world that is very important to preserve“."
Samantha Lee reports for Mongabay January 8, 2025.
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