Project description
Humans and monkeys: investigating the potential phylogenetic conservation of music processing
Rhesus monkeys share about 93 % of their genome sequences with humans, and they are a common model system for investigations into the human auditory brain and related diseases. However, their ability to perceive and produce music – musicality – seems to be scarcely developed. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PHYLOMUSIC project will compare rhesus monkeys and humans in their ability to track complex musical stimuli to assess two pillars of musicality – the detection and memorisation of melodic and rhythmic patterns. The project will investigate the potential phylogenetic conservation of music processing and the evolution of mnemonic systems supporting musicality in humans through a combination of electroencephalography, state-of-the-art brain signal analysis and computational auditory neuroscience.
Objective
The capacity to perceive and produce music musicality has ancient but mysterious roots. While musicality is nearly ubiquitous across human ages and cultures, it seems to be scarcely developed in non-human primates such as rhesus monkeys. This is surprising given that rhesus monkeys are not only one of our closest relatives, but also a fundamental model for human auditory function and communication. PHYLOMUSIC proposes an innovative approach to the study of musicality in non-human primates (macaca mulatta). Rather than focusing on isolated musical features such as tone-order or rhythm, it combines them to form proto-musical patterns. PHYLOMUSIC takes (i) the detection of proto-musical patterns, and (ii) their memorization as two pillars of musicality. With this, PHYLOMUSIC proposes a series of non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) studies aimed to test whether and how proto-musical patterns are detected and memorized (in both short- and long-term) in rhesus monkeys and (as a comparison) in humans. Combining notions from comparative research, music, auditory computational neuroscience, and state-of-the-art brain signal analysis, PHYLOMUSIC is a multi-disciplinary project that has the potential to impact upon three distinct research areas. First, it will shed light upon the mysterious evolutionary origins of musicality, unveiling whether music processing is phylogenetically conserved, and how mnemonic systems may have evolved to support musicality in humans. Second, it will introduce novel analytical approaches to the fast-rising field of non-human primate neuroimaging. Last but not least, it might provide an empirical ground for realistically testing at the neuronal and circuitry level the widespread use of music in clinical settings, having noteworthy implications for human health.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2021-PF-01
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16163 GENOVA
Italy
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