Overview

• Ronan, a California sea lion, demonstrated superior beat synchronization compared to 10 human participants in a newly published study.
• The study compared Ronan's head movements to snare drum beats with human arm movements across multiple tempos, revealing her exceptional rhythm precision and low variability.
• Ronan’s ability to synchronize to a beat challenges the assumption that rhythm is limited to humans and certain vocal-learning species like parrots.
• Researchers plan further studies with additional sea lions and neural investigations to explore the evolutionary and neural roots of rhythm and musicality.
• Ronan, adopted by UC Santa Cruz in 2010 after being deemed non-releasable, first gained fame in 2013 through a viral video showcasing her beat-keeping skills.