Published 16:55 IST, December 25th 2019
Male chimpanzees more likely to tap their feet, sway along to music: Study
Study finds that Male chimpanzees are more likely to dance along and tap their feet to music for a longer period of time as compared to the female chimps
Based on a recent study, researchers found out that male chimps are more likely to dance along to a tune for a longer period of time as compared to their female counterparts. According to reports, this research might be able to give a clear picture of how human beings appreciate music.
Male chimps more likely to sway to the music
The study was conducted by researchers at Kyoto University, Japan. Six two-minute-long compositions were played to 7 chimpanzees for a period of six days. The result showed that the chimps had an understanding of the rhythm as they moved their bodies and tapped their toes to the melody and also moved their heads alongside clapping their hands.
According to reports, the team of researchers discovered that the male chimps were more likely to react to the compositions by being more vocal and moving to the tunes for a longer period of time as compared to the female chimpanzees. Researchers, Yuko Hattori and Masaki Tomonaga said that human beings do have a sex difference in terms of music, adding that Chimpanzees high sensitivity towards sound may have been due to a common ancestor they shared with human beings.
Rats taught how to drive small cars
A study was conducted by a team of researchers where they taught rats how to drive small cars to receive treats that could help them understand as to how learning specific skill sets played a part in affecting the human mind and stress levels among them. Rats have been witnessed to have showcased intelligent behaviour such as recognizing different objects and being able to find food after finding their way out of a complex maze.
Spearheaded by Kelly Lambert, the study wanted to find out if the rats had the capability to learn specific behaviour such as driving and that led to Lambert and her team to train 6 female and 11 male rats to drive small cars using food containers on a set of wheels. The cars used for the study had aluminium floors and 3 copper rods specifically designed to function as a steering wheel.
In addition to this, it was explained that when the rats were placed on the aluminium floors and touched the copper bars, the electrical circuit was complete and that enabled the rats to push the car forward to reach the treat. As soon as the rats learned the skill of navigating their cars, they showcased excellent driving skills alongside an understanding of how to navigate the routes and patterns in order to get to the treats.
(With inputs from agencies)
Updated 16:55 IST, December 25th 2019