Jan. 26, 2008 -- Music appreciation begins in the womb, suggests new research that found newborns can feel the beat, even in their sleep. The findings indicate beat perception, and possibly other aspects of music appreciation, are innate, which in turn may mean musicality could carry some evolutionary advantage for all humans. "Our results suggest that beat detection does not require voluntary attention," said lead author Istvan Winkler. "We did not test infants when they were awake," added Winkler, a researcher at the Institute for Psychology at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. "This is because newborns are usually restless when they are awake, often hungry and crying." Related Content: Get the Latest in Science and Tech News From Discovery Adult Brains Go Ga-Ga Over Babies HowStuffWorks.com: Baby Week Winkler and his team presented 14 healthy newborn infants, between 37 and 40 weeks old, with an R&B-style music snippet composed of snare, bass and hi-hat. Every so often they would break the rhythm by removing a downbeat. The infants were outfitted with non-invasive scalp electrodes that measured their brain activity while the music played. According to a paper published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers found that omitting the downbeat elicited brain activity in the newborns associated with a violation of sensory expectations. Instead of hearing something like, "boom chicka boom chicka boom..." the infants heard something akin to, "boom chicka boom chicka chicka...," which the auditory and frontal cortex parts of their brains registered. The study was duplicated with 14 adults, producing comparable results. Co-author Henkjan Honing, a University of Amsterdam music cognition specialist, told Discovery News that it's possible "newborns might be able to fully perceive meter." Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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