Beat perception and synchronization within 120 to 140 beats/min (BPM) are common in humans and frequently used in music composition. Why beat synchronization is uncommon in some species and the mechanism determining the optimal tempo are unclear. Here, we examined physical movements and neural activities in rats to determine their beat sensitivity. Close inspection of head movements and neural recordings revealed that rats displayed prominent beat synchronization and activities in the auditory cortex within 120 to 140 BPM. Mathematical modeling suggests that short-term adaptation underlies this beat tuning. Our results support the hypothesis that the optimal tempo for beat synchronization is determined by the time constant of neural dynamics conserved across species, rather than the species-specific time constant of physical movements. Thus, latent neural propensity for auditory motor entrainment may provide a basis for human entrainment that is much more widespread than currently thought. Further studies comparing humans and animals will offer insights into the origins of music and dancing.中文翻译：
大鼠的自发节拍同步：神经动力学和运动夹带120 至 140 次/分钟 (BPM) 内的节拍感知和同步在人类中很常见，并且经常用于音乐创作。为什么节拍同步在某些物种中并不常见，而且确定最佳节拍的机制尚不清楚。在这里，我们检查了大鼠的身体运动和神经活动以确定它们的节拍敏感性。仔细检查头部运动和神经记录表明，大鼠在 120 至 140 BPM 内表现出明显的节拍同步和听觉皮层活动。数学模型表明，短期适应是这种节拍调整的基础。我们的结果支持这样的假设，即节拍同步的最佳节奏是由跨物种守恒的神经动力学时间常数决定的，而不是由物种特定的物理运动时间常数决定的。因此，听觉运动夹带的潜在神经倾向可能为人类夹带提供基础，这种夹带比目前认为的要广泛得多。比较人类和动物的进一步研究将提供对音乐和舞蹈起源的见解。