Ronan’s Got Rhythm!
A sea lion named Ronan can keep a beat better than many humans.
Courtesy of University of California Santa Cruz, © Colleen Reichmuth, National Marine Fisheries Service 23554
Ronan the sea lion poses with researchers Andrew Rouse (left), Peter Cook (center), and Carson Hood (right) at the University of California Santa Cruz.
A sea lion named Ronan has some serious moves. The 15-year-old can bop her head to a musical beat, something not every kind of animal can do. Scientists say Ronan has an even better sense of rhythm than some humans!
Ronan first demonstrated her musical ability in 2013, when she showed she could keep the beat to rhythms she had heard before and to rhythms that were new to her. This surprised scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz’s Long Marine Laboratory, where Ronan lives. Previously, they had believed that only animals that can make complex sounds with their voices, like humans, primates, and parrots, could keep a beat. (Just imagine trying to get a dog or cat to do this!)
Recently, scientists decided to study Ronan again to see just how good her skills are. In particular, they wanted to see how well Ronan kept a beat compared to humans.
Courtesy of University of California Santa Cruz, © Joel Sartore/Photo Ark, National Marine Fisheries Service 23554
Ronan shows off her personality.
Scientists asked a drummer to play three different tempos, or speeds. Ronan was familiar with one of these tempos, but not the other two. Yet she was able to bob her head to all three tempos. The scientists also asked 10 college students to wave their arms to the different beats. The researchers found that Ronan had better rhythm than the students!
“No human was better than Ronan at all the different ways we test quality of beat-keeping,” scientist Peter Cook told the Associated Press. Cook also said Ronan performed better as a 15-year-old than she did as a 3-year-old, which suggests she’s gotten better with time.
Scientists now plan to study other sea lions so that they can find out if Ronan’s skills are unique. Meanwhile, Ronan will keep bopping to the music. Her best bopping song is “Boogie Wonderland.”
Ronan demonstrated her skills in the video below. See how she compares with four humans!
Courtesy of University of California Santa Cruz
Ronan and four humans compare their ability to keep the beat.
