Human Group Synchrony in Light of the Comparative Method: What We Know and Would Like to Know. A Peer Commentary Treatment

Le résumé fourni par la source

Abstract The issue addressed in this peer commentary chapter is a rather narrow one. Across the great diversity of animal rhythmic behaviours, which are the ones that might be related by either homology (i.e. by common descent) or analogy (i.e. by convergent evolution) to our capacity for precise and sustained group synchrony such as it occurs in human music, dance, and drill? Candidate species to fill such a role, whether by homology or analogy, would help us understand biological aspects, if any, of the nature and origin of the human capacity. Recent decades have seen an upsurge in proposals regarding species that may fill this role, but so far none of them have achieved consensus status regarding their relevance to our understanding of the human capacity. As a step toward resolving some of the outstanding issues, a number of colleagues were invited to comment on the treatment of the comparative study of musical rhythmicity I present in this chapter. Their commentaries and my response follow that treatment. Though one peer commentary exercise of this kind can hardly be expected to settle the many technical and programmatic issues involved, in the setting of the broader treatment of rhythmicity afforded by this volume, it can nevertheless help delineate conceptual and empirical matters that deserve further close scrutiny.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.