Origins

A 500-million-year-old clawed beast rewrites the origins of spiders and crabs.

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The Cambrian chelicerate Megachelicerax cousteaui

image: Holotype specimen (part and companion) showing Megachelicerax cousteaui’s remarkable pincer-like chelicerae. vision Again Credit: Credit: Rudy Lerosey-Aubril It had been a long day teaching Rudy Lerosey-Aubril. As a reward, he returned to clean the Cambrian arthropod fossils he had just discovered for analysis. At first, the model showed all the expected characteristics of its … Read more

Chimpanzee’s Drum Solo Gives Rays of Music’s Origins | Sci news

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Ayumu made his own long multi-piece instruments by drumming, pulling and throwing. Analysis of the transitions and rhythms revealed a random sequence that resembles a pant-hoot structure, mostly isochronous timing, and a steady tempo when using the instruments more than the body. Expressions accompanied by a playful face and quiet clenched teeth suggest arousal and positive influence, which supports the idea that an emotional voice can be expressed externally through the sound of instruments. Image credit: Hattori et al., doi: 10.1111/nyas.70239.

Researchers who have analyzed dozens of spontaneous performances of a captive male chimpanzee called Ayumu say the animal’s steady rhythms and ‘facial play’ suggest how ancient humans might have turned vocal sensations into musical sounds. Ayumu made his own long multi-piece instruments by drumming, pulling and throwing. Analysis of the transitions and rhythms revealed a … Read more