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 away 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 how precisely bees are able to communicate the location of food sources to other bees. Bees can even correct the information received, compensating for variables such as the direction of the air.
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 have 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 showjumper
Although menacing in appearance, this spider is so small that it fits on the tip of a finger and there is still room to spare. Its mating ritual takes place (like that of some humans) on the dance floor: its name in English is “peacock spider”, because it usually displays a part of its colorful body as part of their dance. It is believed that the female uses the dance to determine whether the male’s health is desirable to mate with him, and those who are found unfit are devoured by the female. Again, as in humans.
4. Dung beetle
With one of the least elegant diets in the animal kingdom (other animals’ excrement), the dung beetle collects its food by rolling it. But it enters our list of rhythmic animals because, in the presence of a rival that would otherwise steal its food, the beetle mounts its precious cargo and defends it with a strange dance reminiscent of city break-dancers. .
5. Sweet seaweed
Scientists at 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. The colonies orbit around each other (waltz) or back and forth, as if held by a rubber band in the middle. These movements make playback easier.
6. Manakin
These colorful birds are native to Colombia and have a unique dance in the animal kingdom. They first announce their mating intentions with a sound and move their wings rapidly. This movement is imperceptible to the eye, but the speed with which they do it is such that they cause a backward impulse of the branch, which is reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s moonwalk.