Reacción a "Two macaques can tap to the beat of music in an experimental study"

Although the study presents striking results on rhythmic sensitivity in non-human primates, the conclusions should be taken with great caution. The sample size is extremely small and is based on individuals trained over long periods to perform highly artificial tasks. Although such protocols are standard in neuroscience, they are far removed from the natural repertoire of the species and make it difficult to extrapolate the results realistically. Furthermore, the cost of keeping these animals in such restrictive experimental environments raises the question of whether the scientific benefit outweighs the burden on their welfare.

There are more respectful and potentially more informative methodological alternatives, such as observational studies or ecologically validated experiments in semi-natural environments or primate centres, where temporal and rhythmic processing can be explored without forcing conditions that distort behaviour. In this sense, the work raises interesting questions, but it is still far from offering solid answers about the evolution of rhythm in primates.