A new study of Ronan, a sea lion famous for her dancing skills, challenges the idea that only vocal learners can match a tempo

For years, scientists believed that rhythm was a skill exclusively reserved to humans, out of all mammals. But a rescue sea lion from California has proven otherwise, with her outstanding ability to synchronize her movements to a beat, with such precision that she's even outperformed humans in controlled tests.

Parrots are known to be able to keep a beat by moving their bodies. And recent studies have highlighted the beat-keeping capabilities of other mammals, such as monkeys and rats. But after more than a decade, “Ronan the sea lion’s rhythmic entrainment is clearly the best known in nonhuman vertebrates,” Dr. Fitch said.