Not just winging it: Snowball the dancing cockatoo whose sense of rhythm has amazed scientists

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated:


会合，会う Snowball, the dancing cockatoo who is 軍隊ing scientists to re-評価する their opinion on avian in telligence.

The 13-year-old bird likes nothing better than bobbing up and 負かす／撃墜する while shaking and （電話線からの）盗聴 his feet to pop and 激しく揺する music.

His dancing antics have made him an internet superstar while scientists are あられ／賞賛するing his moves as proof that humans aren't the only creatures with a sense of rhythm.

Scroll 負かす／撃墜する for ビデオ

He's got rhythm: Snowball the dancing cockatoo has been hailed by scientists as proof that humans aren't the only creatures with rhythm He's got rhythm: Snowball the dancing cockatoo has been あられ／賞賛するd by scientists as proof that humans aren't the only creatures with rhythm

Grooving to music by artists 含むing Queen, the Backstreet Boys and Lady Gaga, the sulphur-crested Eleonora （頭が）ひょいと動くs his 長，率いる, steps to the 味方する, 解除するs his 脚 and shakes his 団体／死体 with impeccably good タイミング.

Now 研究員s have timed his rhythm to 設立する just how good a ダンサー Snowball is.

Using 科学の 測定s of synchronisation, they 証明するd that the musical （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域s and dancing were linked up.

Dr Aniruddh Patel of The Neurosciences 学校／設ける in San Diego said: 'We've shown that if the music 速度(を上げる）s up or slows 負かす／撃墜する across a wide 範囲, he adjusts the 速度 of his dancing to stay synchronised to the （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域.'

He 追加するd: 'I was transfixed. I'd never seen anything like it in my life.'

Snowball is a 現象 because he is the first 非，不，無-human animal 文書d as dancing to a synchronised （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域.

While many animals 答える／応じる to music, no other animal except for humans has been 設立する to keep to a rhythm.

Precise grooves: Using scientific measurements of synchronisation, researchers proved that the musical beats were exactly linked to Snowball's dancing

正確な grooves: Using 科学の 測定s of synchronisation, 研究員s 証明するd that the musical （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域s were 正確に／まさに linked to Snowball's dancing

Dr Patel and 同僚s 熟考する／考慮するd Snowball along with hundreds of other birds.

They searched the internet 場所／位置 YouTube for ビデオs of animals dancing to music - 含むing parrots, dogs and cats.

They 熟考する／考慮するd each ビデオ でっちあげる，人を罪に陥れる by でっちあげる，人を罪に陥れる, comparing the 速度(を上げる） of the music and the movements of the creatures.

嫌疑者，容疑者／疑う ビデオs - where the music appeared to have been 追加するd afterwards - were ignored, as were ビデオs where an animal could have been に引き続いて movements offscreen.

From more than 1,000 ビデオs, they fo und 証拠 that 14 種類 of parrot and one 種類 of elephant can move in time to music.

Chimpanzees, dogs and cats appeared to have no sense of rhythm.

Mid-move: Snowball gets down to a German polka

中央の-move: Snowball gets 負かす／撃墜する to a German polka

'For a long time, people have thought that the ability to move to a （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 was unique to humans,' said 研究員 Dr Adena Schachner.

'After all, there is no 納得させるing 証拠 that our closest 親族s, chimpanzees and other apes, can keep a （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域, and there is 類似して no 証拠 that our pet dogs and cats can line up their 活動／戦闘s with a musical （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域.'

After identifying the dancing birds, the 研究員s 熟考する／考慮するd Snowball - who lives in a bird 避難所 in Indiana - in the lab.

The scientists believe the parrots' sense of rhythm is closely linked to their ability to mimic songs.

Dr Schachner 追加するd: 'If you are imitating a sound, you 絶えず 監視する your memory of the sound you are trying to imitate, 同様に as the sound you are producing, so if you notice a difference, you can change your vocalisation.

'So it seems plausible that 声の mimicry and keeping a （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 might rely on some of the same 機械装置s.'

The same ability to dance could also be 株d by other mimics in the natural world - such as 調印（する）s, イルカs, elephants and song birds, she said.


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