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Social bonding and credible signaling hypotheses largely disregard the gap between animal vocalizations and human music

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2021

Marcel Zentner Open the ORCID record for Marcel Zentner [Opens in a new window]
Marcel Zentner*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, 6020Innsbruck, Austria. [email protected]
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Abstract

Mehr et al. propose a theory of the evolution music that can potentially account for most animal vocalizations as precursors to human music. Therein lies its appeal but also its Achilles' heel, for the wider the range of animal vocalizations treated as premusical expressions, the wider the gap to human music. Here, I offer a few critical observations and constructive suggestions that I hope will help the authors strengthen their case.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 44 , 2021 , e120
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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