Sufi and ancient Indian philosophies believed that there were concepts students could only understand through dance. Movement as a form of communication, as a mating ritual or to scare enemies, the animal kingdom shows curious examples that rhythm does more than brighten our lives: it can save them.
1. Bees
Since the time of Aristotle it was known that bees communicate through strange body movements. But it wasn’t until recently that scientists were able to discover the precision with which bees are able to communicate the location of food sources to other bees. The bees can even correct the information received, compensating for variables such as the direction of the air.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lE-8QuBDkkw
2. Cockatoos
Long used in zoos, aquariums, and magic acts for entertainment purposes, these tropical birds seem to respond to rhythm rather than just imitate what they’ve been taught. A study from the San Diego Neuroscience Institute found that cockatoos can adjust their movements to the tempo of the same song when it varies.
3. Australian jumping spider
Although menacing in appearance, this spider is so small that it can fit on the tip of a finger and there is still room to spare. Its mating ritual takes place (as well as that of some humans) on the dance floor: its English name is «peacock spider», because it usually displays a part of its colorful body as part of its her dance. It is believed that the female uses the dance to determine if the health of the male is desirable to mate with him, and those that are found unfit are eaten by the female. Again, like in humans.
4. Dung beetle
Eating one of the least elegant diets in the animal kingdom (excrement from other animals), the dung beetle collects its food by rolling it. But it makes our list of rhythmic animals because, in the presence of a rival who would otherwise steal its food, the beetle mounts its prized cargo and defends it with a strange dance reminiscent of city break-dancers. .
5. Freshwater algae
Scientists from the University of Cambridge discovered that freshwater algae use two types of dance to reproduce: the waltz and the minuet, a courtly rhythm from the 17th century. What these rhythms have in common (in humans) is that they help organize large contingents of dancers, which could explain why nature reproduces very similar patterns. Colonies orbit around each other (waltz) or front to back, as if held by a rubber band in the middle. These movements facilitate reproduction.
6.manakin
These colorful birds native to Colombia and Ecuador have a unique dance in the animal kingdom. They first announce their mating intentions with a sound and flap their wings rapidly. This movement is imperceptible to the eye, but the speed with which they do it is such that they cause the branch to move backwards, reminiscent of the moon walk by Michael Jackson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=K1Ul0fwGm8Q
[The Week]
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