A sea lion named Ronan is better able to keep a beat than the average human, a new study finds. Such ability in animals is generally thought to be unique to humans and some birds, but Ronan’s performance challenges those assumptions, the study’s researchers say.
Ronan, a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus), was born in the wild in 2008 but struggled to survive on her own. She was found emaciated by rescuers multiple times, who rehabilitated and released her. But the third time, when she was found waddling down a highway, rescuers realized she was unable to forage for herself, so they found her a permanent home at the Long Marine Lab at the University of California (UC), Santa Cruz, U.S.
In 2013, Ronan participated in a study where researchers at the lab reported that she could bob her head in time with rhythmic beats and adjust to changes in music and tempo, “but there was a lot of discourse about whether it was accurate enough and similar [enough] to humans to be recognized as beat keeping,” Carson Hood, a master’s student at the marine mammal science program at New College of Florida and co-author of the new study, told Mongabay in a video call.
So, Hood and researchers from UC Santa Cruz designed a study to accurately compare Ronan’s beat-keeping with that of humans: The team asked 10 undergraduate student volunteers to wave their arm in time with the beats of a metronome played at different tempos and compared that with Ronan’s head bobs.
They found that Ronan’s ability to synchronize with the metronome was as good or better than the volunteers. She also performed better at consistently keeping the beat.
Tecumseh Fitch, a cognitive biologist with the University of Vienna, who wasn’t involved with the study, told The New York Times, “I think that it demonstrates conclusively that humans are not the only mammals able to keep a beat.”
Before the 2013 study with Ronan, researchers believed only humans and some songbirds could keep a beat, suggesting the skill is tied to a need for vocal mimicry.
But Hood said that rhythm isn’t just for music — it’s a part of life in our movements and heartbeats and for marine mammals like sea lions, being sensitive to these natural rhythms could be key to survival.
Animals in the ocean may rely on rhythm to make split-second life or death decisions, she said. For example, when a sea lion is hunting, it might match the swimming pattern — or rhythm — of its prey to be more successful. Similarly, recognizing regular patterns in a predator’s movement or vocalizations could help it stay alive, she added.
Hood said this study raises questions about human noise pollution in the ocean and its impact on species not previously considered sensitive to sound. “So, it’s more than just the sea lion can dance.”
Banner photo: of Ronan, courtesy of UC Santa Cruz.
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