In the winter of 1984, 3,000 beluga whales got trapped by thick ice in the Chukchi Peninsula in northeastern Russia. The ice was 12 feet thick, leaving only tiny breathing holes. The whales were doomed with no way to cross the icy stretch in one breath.

Locals tried to help by giving the whales frozen fish and chipping away at the ice to widen the holes. But it wasn’t enough. Eventually, the Soviet authorities sent the Moskva, a huge icebreaker, to clear a path. The whales, however, were suspicious of the ship and kept their distance.

But then an unusual idea came to mind: what if the crew played music through loudspeakers to attract the whales?

The soothing classical tunes worked, and the whales followed the Moskva to safety. Music turned a tough rescue into a beautiful collaboration between humans and nature, proving it’s a universal language that brings us together.

But is there more to this link with music among different species?

Are animals musical beings?

In 2009, Henkjan Honing a Dutch researcher, wanted to see if monkeys could groove like humans. He tested rhesus macaques, who are our distant cousins from 23 million years ago, to see if they could feel the beat like human babies do.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t.

But chimpanzees, our closer cousins from 5 to 10 million years ago, could actually perceive beats. In 2013, scientists also discovered a California sea lion named Ronan who could move to the beat of music. Here’s what it looks like.

What does this tell us?

Not all animals can groove, but musicality seems to be rooted in biology and has evolved over time. Musicality isn’t just a human thing, some animals surprise us with their rhythm skills.

Music does seem to be a universal language that connects us across species.

But it’s not all rainbows and sunshine

If we look at gibbons, these small apes in Southeast Asia, we realize that music for them is a matter of life and death.

Primatologists at the University of St. Andrews found that gibbons launch into a high-decibel singing to alert the community to be cautious of nearby predators like leopards or pythons. When these appear, gibbons start singing loudly and include specific warning notes telling other members of their group there’s danger.

Gibbons typically sing in pairs, but when danger is near, they alter their song’s timing and add special “sharp wow” notes to alert everyone. Their song has two purposes:

• It warns other gibbons to be on guard.

• It lets the predator know it has been spotted, which might discourage it from attacking.

What’s fascinating is that gibbons use the same notes to keep the peace in their social world, marking territory, and keeping their pair bonds strong. They communicate with neighboring gibbons and let them know where their boundaries are. It’s a way of saying, “This is our space,” without having to fight for it.

It’s a bit like using music to both woo and warn. They make the right noise at the right time.

Tracing our musical origins

Our not-so-distant primate relatives, gibbons, might tell us something about the origin of music in the human lineage.

If our cousins in the animal kingdom use music to navigate complex social structures and conflicts, maybe there’s something primal in how we perceive music too.

The idea that music evolved as a signal to communicate intentions (i.e. territory) and maintain peace, or prepare for conflict, suggests that our ancestors used music not just for bonding but as a strategic tool for survival.

Harvard psychology researcher Samuel Mehr and his colleagues explored this idea and made some interesting findings. They proposed that music evolved as a credible signal to help with coalition interactions and infant care.

Music acts like a group’s LinkedIn profile. It’s a loud, coordinated shout-out to other groups about strength and unity. If you and your tribe break out into song and dance, now everyone knows you’re not to be messed with.

Music serves as a way to message coalition strength to others.

But you also have music’s function as an infant care.

Ever wonder why lullabies exist across all cultures? Singing to babies is a way to show them we are present, building trust and making them feel safe. It’s a simple and effective way for infants to know they’re being watched and cared for by their parents. Music reassures and comforts a child, signaling that a parent is there for them.

All this tells us that music is a deeply rooted, evolutionarily crafted communication tool, designed to signal everything from coalition strength to parental investment.

Music is an ancient, adaptive tool that helped shape who we are today.

Music’s role in our primal connection

There’s a connection that runs deep in our veins, going back to when our ancestors dodged predators and protected their communities.

Music has evolved as a way to connect across species, serving as a universal language that started as a primal tool for survival. Understanding where we come from allows us to embrace music as a common link to communicate and coexist with other beings.

By learning about our past, we can build a future more in harmony with nature, where music acts as our bridge. This shared heritage connects us with other life forms and lets us use music as a powerful tool to move forward.

As always, there’s more to music than meets the ear.

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