Battle of the beats: Ronan the sea lion outgrooves humans

A California sea lion can probably keep a beat better than you.

Ronan the sea lion and the research team — Study co-authors Andrew Rouse, Peter Cook, and Carson Hood with Ronan.
Image courtesy of Colleen Reichmuth (NMFS 23554).

Ronan is a celebrity sea lion. Although Ronan was wild-born, her struggles finding food led to her being rescued and rehabilitated several times. She was eventually given a permanent home at the Long Marine Lab at the University of California (UC), Santa Cruz, U.S.

There, pinniped researchers discovered that Ronan could bob her head in time with rhythmic beats. Now, a new study has found that Ronan’s ability to keep in time with a metronome was as good or better than 10 human volunteers.

According to Carson Hood, a scientist who worked with Ronan, animals in the ocean may rely on rhythm to make split-second life or death decisions. For example, when a sea lion is hunting, it might match the swimming pattern — or rhythm — of its prey to be more successful. Similarly, recognizing patterns in a predator’s movement or vocalizations could help it stay alive.

Watch the video to see Ronan in action.