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This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin. This will just take a minute.


Forget “Polly wanna cracker1.” Polly wants to boogie. Or so say scientists in a pair of papers in the April 30th issue of the journal Current Biology. They found that some birds, especially parrots, can bob their heads, tap their feet and sway their bodies to a musical beat.


It’s long been thought that dancing is a uniquely human hobby. Chimps2 don’t move to the groove3. And when was the last time you saw Fido or Fluffy4 shake their furry5 booties? But Snowball the cockatoo is another story. That bird’s got rhythm. Researchers found that Snowball can adjust the tempo6 of his dance moves to coincide with the speed of the music. In this study, the tune7 was “Everybody” by the Backstreet Boys, one of the cockatoo’s faves.


But Snowball’s not the only bird who likes to boogie. In a separate study, researchers searched YouTube for videos of dancing animals. Of the 1,000 they turned up, only 15 critters actually moved in sync with the beat. Fourteen of those were parrots, one was an elephant. Pachyderms, parrots and people are all vocal8 mimics9. So the neural10 circuits for vocal learning may also enable moving to the beat.


Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Karen Hopkin.
 


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1 cracker svCz5a     
n.（无甜味的）薄脆饼干
参考例句：
  • Buy me some peanuts and cracker.给我买一些花生和饼干。
  • There was a cracker beside every place at the table.桌上每个位置旁都有彩包爆竹。
2 chimps 2a09048610e52de775e2fe426c063f06     
（非洲）黑猩猩( chimp的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Chimps are too scarce, and too nearly human, to be routinely slaughtered for spare parts. 黑猩猩又太少，也太接近于人类，不可以作为人器官备用件说杀就杀。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
  • And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
3 groove JeqzD     
n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯
参考例句：
  • They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
  • The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。
4 fluffy CQjzv     
adj.有绒毛的，空洞的
参考例句：
  • Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
  • The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。
5 furry Rssz2D     
adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的
参考例句：
  • This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。
  • Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。
6 tempo TqEy3     
n.(音乐的)速度；节奏，行进速度
参考例句：
  • The boss is unsatisfied with the tardy tempo.老板不满于这种缓慢的进度。
  • They waltz to the tempo of the music.他们跟着音乐的节奏跳华尔兹舞。
7 tune NmnwW     
n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整
参考例句：
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
8 vocal vhOwA     
adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目
参考例句：
  • The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
  • Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。
9 mimics f8207fb5fa948f536c5186311e3e641d     
n.模仿名人言行的娱乐演员，滑稽剧演员( mimic的名词复数 )；善于模仿的人或物v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的第三人称单数 )；酷似
参考例句：
  • Methods:Models were generate by CT scan,Mimics software and Abaqus software. 方法：采用CT扫描，Mimics软件和Abaqus软件的CAD进行三维有限元模型的创建。 来自互联网
  • Relaxing the mind and body mimics the effect that some blood-pressure pills would have. 放松身心会产生某些降压药才能产生的效果。 来自辞典例句
10 neural DnXzFt     
adj.神经的，神经系统的
参考例句：
  • The neural network can preferably solve the non- linear problem.利用神经网络建模可以较好地解决非线性问题。
  • The information transmission in neural system depends on neurotransmitters.信息传递的神经途径有赖于神经递质。

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