MONKEYS do not prefer sounds that are harmonious to human ears, suggesting that people have a unique appreciation of music.
People find certain pairs of notes more harmonious than others. Pleasing intervals are known as consonant, while unappealing ones are called dissonant. Even very young infants enjoy hearing consonant intervals more, suggesting that people are hard-wired with the preference at birth.
But while the brains of birds and mammals show different patterns of activity in response to consonant and dissonant intervals, it was unclear whether these animals actually prefer certain pairs of notes.
To find out, Josh McDermott of the…
