scholarly journals Human aggression and music evolution: a model

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksey Nikolsky ◽  
Antonio Benítez-Burraco
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Reactive Aggression ◽  
Social Institution ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Evolutionary Development ◽  
Human Phenotype ◽  
Evolution Of Music

Together with language, music is perhaps our most distinctive behavioral trait. Following the lead of paleolinguistic research, different hypotheses have been proposed to explain why only humans perform music and how this ability might have evolved in the species. In this paper, we advance a new model of music evolution that builds on the theory of self-domestication, according to which the human phenotype is, at least in part, the outcome of a process similar to mammal domestication, triggered by a progressive reduction in reactive aggression levels in response to environmental changes. In the paper, we specifically argue that changes in aggression management through the course of human cultural evolution can account for the behaviors conducive to the emergence and evolution of music. We hypothesize 4 stages in the evolutionary development of music under the influence of environmental changes and evolution of social organization: starting from musilanguage, proto-music gave rise to personal and private forms of timbre-oriented music, then to small-group ensembles of pitch-oriented music, at first of indefinite and then definite pitch, and finally to collective (tonal) music. These stages parallel what has been hypothesized for languages and encompass the diversity of music types and genres described worldwide. Overall, music complexity emerges in a gradual fashion under the effects of enhanced abilities for cultural niche construction, resulting from the stable trend of reduction in reactive aggression towards the end of the Pleistocene, leading to the rise of hospitality codes, and succeeded by increase in proactive aggression from the beginning of the Holocene onward. This paper addresses numerous controversies in the literature on the evolution of music by providing a clear structural definition of music, identifying its structural features that distinguish it from oral language, and summarizing the typology of operational functions of music and formats of its transmission. The proposed framework of structural approach to music arms a researcher with means to identify and comparatively analyze different schemes of tonal organization of music, placing them in the context of human social and cultural evolution. Especially valuable contribution to the understanding of transition from animal communication to human music and language is the theory of so-called “personal song”, described and analyzed here from ethological, social, cultural, cognitive, and musicological perspectives. The emergence of personal song and its development into a social institution are interlinked with the evolution of kinship and placed into the timeline of cultural evolution, based on totality of ethnographic, archaeological, anthropological, genetic, and paleoclimatic data.

The Unification of the Arts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Brown
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Visual Art ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Aesthetic Responses ◽  
Music And Language ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Dance Movements ◽  
Evolution Of Music

The Unification of the Arts presents the first integrated cognitive account of the arts that attempts to unite all of the arts into a single framework, covering visual art, theatre, literature, dance, and music, with supporting discussions about creativity and aesthetics that span all of the arts. The book’s comparative approach identifies both what is unique to each artform and what artforms share with one another. An understanding of shared mechanisms sheds light on how the arts are able to combine with one another to form syntheses, such as choreographing dance movements to music, or setting lyrics to music to create a song. While most psychological analyses of the arts focus on perceptual mechanisms alone—most commonly aesthetic responses—the book offers a holistic sensorimotor account of the arts that examines the full gamut of processes from creation to perception for each artform. This allows for a broad discussion of the evolution of the arts, including the origins of rhythm, the co-evolution of music and language, the evolution of drawing, and cultural evolution of the arts. Finally, the book aims to unify a number of topics that have not been adequately related to one another in previous discussions, including theatre and literature, music and language, creativity and aesthetics, dancing and acting, and visual art and music. The Unification of the Arts provides a bold new approach to the integration of the arts, one that covers cognition, evolution, and neuroscience.

Ecological and psychological factors in the cultural evolution of music

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thom Scott-Phillips ◽  
Atsuko Tominaga ◽  
Helena Miton
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Cognition And Culture ◽  
Evolution Of Music ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The two target articles agree that processes of cultural evolution generate richness and diversity in music, but neither address this question in a focused way. We sketch one way to proceed – and hence suggest how the target articles differ not only in empirical claims, but also in their tacit, prior assumptions about the relationship between cognition and culture.

The effect of the invasive Asclepias syriaca on the ground-dwelling arthropod fauna

Biologia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Róbert Gallé ◽  
Nóra Erdélyi ◽  
Nikolett Szpisjak ◽  
Csaba Tölgyesi ◽  
István Maák
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Local Effect ◽  
Trophic Relationships ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Asclepias Syriaca ◽  
Management Interventions

AbstractThe management of natural and seminatural systems often leads to disturbance associated with the appearance of non-native species. The spread of these species is increasing due to global environmental changes combined with local management interventions. These non-native species may establish self-sustaining populations influencing ecosystem functions, including the habitat use of native species. Here we explore the response of diplopods, spider and ant assemblages and the activity-density of individual species to the establishment of the non-native plant species, Asclepias syriaca in a disturbed poplar forest in Hungary. The relationship between the species richness of spiders and ants and the structural features of A. syriaca was weak. We found a significant relationship between the structural features of A. syriaca stands and the density and activity of the diplopod Megaphyllum unilineatum. We explain this relationship by the modified microclimate and litter quality of the habitats invaded by A. syriaca. The species composition of ant and spider assemblages was sensitive to A. syriaca. Asclepias syriaca had a negative local effect on the abundance of two spider species which were common in the studied forest. However, A. syriaca positively influenced the abundance of two ant species, most probably via indirect trophic relationships, as they feed on aphids living on A. syriaca. Our study shows that invasive plants can have mixed effects on local invertebrate assemblages. It is therefore crucial to understand how native assemblages respond to these changes in order to better manage these novel ecosystems and maximize their biodiversity benefits.

scholarly journals Cultural evolution and music

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mason Youngblood ◽  
Yuto Ozaki ◽  
Patrick E. Savage
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Important Research ◽  
Human Species ◽  
Evolutionary Patterns ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Experimental Approaches ◽  
Evolution Of Music ◽  
Copyright Enforcement

The universality and diversity of music in human societies make it an important research model for understanding how cultural features change over time and space. In this chapter, we review research on the cultural evolution of music, broken down into three major approaches: 1) corpus-based approaches that use large datasets to infer evolutionary patterns, 2) experimental approaches that explore cultural transmission and transformation, and 3) research on “music-like” behaviors in non-human species, such as bird and whale song, that highlights shared mechanisms and future directions. Finally, we discuss applications of this research to issues like copyright enforcement and algorithmic inequality. Given the diversity of musical datasets that have yet to be fully leveraged, we think that music has the potential to become a powerful research model for cultural evolution.

The Knowledge Instinct, Cognitive Functions of Music and Cultural Evolution

2016 ◽  
pp. 17-41
Author(s):  
Leonid I. Perlovsky ◽  
Nobuo Masataka ◽  
Michel Cabanac
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Music Culture ◽  
Origin And Evolution ◽  
Evolution Of Music ◽  
Joint Evolution

Evolution of music ability has been considered a mystery from Aristotle to Darwin and as no adaptive purpose has been identified yet, making music is still a puzzle for evolutionary biologists. This chapter considers a new theory of music origin and evolution, identifying a cognitive function of music which helps overcoming cognitive dissonance based on the unification of consciousness that is differentiated by language. According to this theory, music is fundamental for cultural evolution. The reason for music strongly affecting us is that it helps overcoming unpleasant emotions of cognitive contradictions, which are conditions of accumulating knowledge. The chapter considers experimental evidence supporting this theory and the joint evolution of music, culture, and consciousness.

A journey through the evolutionary diversification of archaeal Lsm and Hfq proteins*

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 647-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Reichelt ◽  
Dina Grohmann ◽  
Sarah Willkomm
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Biological Function ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Rna Metabolism ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Evolutionary Development ◽  
Evolutionary Diversification ◽  
Strong Focus ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Structural Diversification

Sm-like (Lsm) proteins are found in all three domains of life. They are crucially involved in the RNA metabolism of prokaryotic organisms. To exert their function, they assemble into hexa- or heptameric rings and bind RNA via a conserved binding pocket for uridine stretches in the inner pore of the ring. Despite the conserved secondary structure of Lsm proteins, there are several features that lead to a structural diversification of this protein family that mediates their participation in a variety of processes related to RNA metabolism. Until recently, the cellular function of archaeal Sm-like proteins was not well understood. In this review, we discuss structural features of Lsm proteins with a strong focus on archaeal variants, reflect on the evolutionary development of archaeal Lsm proteins and present recent insights into their biological function.

scholarly journals Development of Communication Behaviour: Receiver Ontogeny in Túngara Frogs and a Prospectus for a Behavioural Evolutionary Development

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander T. Baugh ◽  
Kim L. Hoke ◽  
Michael J. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Communication Systems ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Evolutionary Development ◽  
Communication Signals ◽  
Tungara Frogs ◽  
Signal Production ◽  
Evolution Of Signals ◽  
Evolution Of Communication ◽  
Behaviour Recognition

Most studies addressing the development of animal communication have focused on signal production rather than receiver decoding, and similar emphasis has been given to learning over nonlearning. But receivers are an integral part of a communication network, and nonlearned mechanisms appear to be more ubiquitous than learned ones in the communication systems of most animals. Here we review the results of recent experiments and outline future directions for integrative studies on the development of a primarily nonlearned behaviour—recognition of communication signals during ontogeny in a tropical frog. The results suggest that antecedents to adult behaviours might be a common feature of developing organisms. Given the essential role that acoustic communication serves in reproduction for many organisms and that receivers can exert strong influence on the evolution of signals, understanding the evolutionary developmental basis of mate recognition will provide new insights into the evolution of communication systems.

scholarly journals Philogenetic Analysis of ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5 Structures

2020 ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Anastasia Korchagina ◽  
Pavel Krylov
Keyword(s):  
Enzymatic Activity ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Likelihood Method ◽  
Evolutionary Development ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
In Silico Studies

ADAMTS-4 and -5 are aggrecanases that are involved in the development of osteoarthrosis by breaking aggrecan at various binding sites, of which cleavage in the Glu373-Ala374 bond plays the most important role in pathogenesis. Therefore, studying them is an urgent task to this day. Now, the structural features of these enzymes have already been studied, however, the influence of evolutionary development on their functions and enzymatic activity is not quite clear. In the framework of this research in silico studies have been conducted. They consist in the construction of phylogenetic trees by the maximum likelihood method in MEGA X program, the establishment of changes in the structures that occurred during evolution, and their possible effect on enzymatic activity. In addition, the organism most suitable for experimental studies has been determined. In this research, to analyze evolutionary changes, we have studied the sequences of organisms from different families: Salmon, Guinea fowl, Frog, Python, Rabbit, Leopard, Gorilla, Man. The lengths of these sequences are approximately equal; when aligning, the structures do not differ much. When studying the trees constructed from these sequences, it has been found that their structure is quite different only at the beginning, in the area of the signal surface and prodomain, while the rest of the changes are insignificant. The authors have also carried out the analysis of phylogenetic trees to determine an organism that is most like the human structure and therefore most suitable for in vivo studies. The following structures have been investigated: Bull, Camel, Pig, Donkey, Rabbit, Rat, Mouse, and Man. The rabbit has the most similar structure and therefore is more suitable for experimental studies.

scholarly journals Loop Dynamics and Enzyme Catalysis in Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory Crean ◽  
Michal Biler ◽  
Marc van der Kamp ◽  
Alvan C. Hengge ◽  
Shina Caroline Lynn Kamerlin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Tyrosine Phosphatase ◽  
Conformational Dynamics ◽  
Rare Event ◽  
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Tyrosine Phosphatases ◽  
Protein Tyrosine ◽  
Critical Residue ◽  
Loop Dynamics

<p>Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) play an important role in cellular signalling and have been implicated in human cancers, diabetes, and obesity. Despite shared catalytic mechanisms and transition states for the chemical steps of catalysis, catalytic rates within the PTP family vary over several orders of magnitude. These rate differences have been implied to arise from differing conformational dynamics of the closure of a protein loop, the WPD-loop, which carries a catalytically critical residue. The present work reports computational studies of the human protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), and YopH from <i>Yersinia pestis</i>, for which NMR has demonstrated a link between both their respective rates of WPD-loop motion and catalysis rates, which differ by an order of magnitude. We have performed detailed structural analysis, both conventional and enhanced sampling simulations of their loop dynamics, as well as empirical valence bond simulations of the chemical step of catalysis. These analyses revealed the key residues and structural features responsible for these differences, as well as the residues and pathways that facilitate allosteric communication in these enzymes. Curiously, our wild-type YopH simulations also identify a catalytically incompetent hyper-open conformation of its WPD-loop, sampled as a rare event, previously only experimentally observed in YopH-based chimeras. The effect of differences within the WPD-loop and its neighbouring loops on the modulation of loop dynamics, as revealed in this work, may provide a facile means for the family of PTP enzymes to respond to environmental changes and regulate their catalytic activities. </p>

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF İNTONATİON İN THE CONNECTİON OF COMPOUND SENTENCE COMPONENTS İN AZERBAİJANİ FOLKLORE MATERİALS

2021 ◽  
pp. 6-10
Author(s):  
D. Konul
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Oral Language ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Equal Rights ◽  
Cause And Effect ◽  
Language Patterns ◽  
Compound Sentence

The article discusses the role of intonation as a means of connecting the components of compound sentence structures in Azerbaijani folklore materials. Folklore materials are examples of oral language that reflects the national culture of our nation. These oral language patterns are expressed by different sentence structures. One of the sentence structures expressing the essence and content of our folklore is compound sentence structures. Compound sentences are a syntactic unit formed by the semantic and grammatical combination of sentences with equal rights. Since compound sentence structures in folklore materials are oral language material, its components are more associated with intonation. Intonation is related to the sentence and is the action of the sound in the sentence. In the process of speech, intonation is widely used in the expression of various feelings of joy, sorrow, anger, supplication, joy, etc. Intonation also serves to clarify the purpose of utterance in compound sentences. Thus, the components of this sentence are mostly pronounced with the same type of narration, or question, or command, or emotionally intonation. Due to the structural features and the nature of the intonation, there are connections of meaning, connection, cause and effect, clarification, comparison, distribution between the components of compound sentences. Most of the components of compound sentences without this meaning are connected to each other through intonation. In addition to connect the intonation components in compound sentences in folklore materials, it also serves as an artistic means of decorating their sound and has an important stylistic role, providing easy, concise and emotional expression of thought with colorful colors. 

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