Is music a unique human trait or a deep-rooted biological inheritance?
In short: Archaeological evidence shows humans have been making music for at least 40,000 years. This lecture examines whether our musicality is a distinct human development or an extension of evolutionary heritage shared with other species, while exploring the neuroscience behind our emotional response to sound.
Music appears to be a universal feature of human civilization, with no known culture lacking it. While other species, such as nightingales and grasshoppers, produce sounds that function as music, researchers are investigating the specific genetic and anthropological factors that define human musicality. The lecture delves into how neuroscience explains the powerful emotional impact of music and examines the implications when the biological mechanisms underlying musical processing fail.
The presentation was recorded on 29th June 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London, featuring Gresham Professors Milton Mermikides and Robin May. Mermikides brings expertise from the University of Surrey and the Royal College of Music, while May contributes his background as a Professor of Infectious Disease at the University of Birmingham and Chief Scientific Adviser at the Food Standards Agency.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Evolution of Music - Milton Mermikides and Robin May
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