The music of animals
Reading time
0 min
Of all types of calls, chicks prefer consonant sounds, which have a positive valence
A recent study by the University of Trieste and La Sapienza University of Rome hypothesizes that the preference for consonant sounds (translated into notes: the intervals C – C; C – F; C – G) shares humans and animals, including non-singing species such as chickens. To prove this, scientists recorded and analyzed hundreds of chick calls. The main premise of the research was that the preference for consonant sounds, observed in several animal species, including humans, might have biological roots and be reflected in the animals’ natural calls.
Credits: Congerdesign – Pixnio – CC0Congerdesign – Pixnio – CC0
What are consonant sounds
Consonant sounds, which we humans also find pleasing to the ear, produce a feeling of stability, a harmonious effect that is pleasant to listen to. This occurs when frequencies are in simple frequency ratios to each other, such as 1:2(octave: C – C), 2:3(perfect fifth: C – G), or 3:4(perfect fourth: C – F). Although cultural preferences exist in humans, a physiological basis is thought to justify this predilection.
To investigate this possibility, researchers recorded the calls of 130 chicks, identifying three different types of calls related to consonant sounds: of contact (octave interval), of food (fifth) and of brooding (fourth).
Dissonant sounds, the jazz of nature
The study then investigated the calls issued in distressing situations, such as when chicks are separated from their mother, hatching flock or imprinting object. Often, they found, these contain dissonant elements (in music, such as the interval C – B, minor seventh, used in jazz music). These sounds, it is hypothesized, could serve to convey a feeling of tension and urgency to elicit a response from their peers.
Musicality, a common basis
The conclusion the scientists came to is that even chicks-non-singing birds unable to learn sounds-possess a biological predisposition to produce and potentially recognize consonance, a fundamental element of human music. Constituent elements of musicality may thus be present in various animal species, even those phylogenetically distant from humans.
