Hominid physiological evolution and the emergence of musical capacities

The production and processing of the various elements of musical behaviours relies upon the integration of a number of physiological and neurological capacities. These have evolved into their current form in modern humans from foundations present in our hominid ancestors. Fundamental questions associated with this process concern the original roles of these component capacities, and how and why they developed and integrated in the way that they did, allowing possible musical behaviours of the form with which we are now familiar. Examination of the fossil record of hominid physiological evolution, of neurological interdependencies, and of primate and developmental studies, can go some way towards addressing these questions, and give some insight into the essential underlying foundations of musical behaviours.