Music exists almost every human culture on earth. The oldest discovered musical instruments date back over 40,000 years to the Stone Age. 【小题1】 It originated alongside language in early human communication. Why did music become so well connected into the human experience over the long history? Evolutionary psychologists say it gave significant survival advantages to our ancestors.

In prehistoric times, music promoted tighter social bonding between group members. Singing and drumming together released chemicals like dopamine and endorphins, inducing positive emotions that strengthened social connections. 【小题2】 This can also help to claim identity and territory (领土).

Early music likely aided communication too. Rhythmic drumbeats and calls organized the actions and movements of groups during hunts or battle. Singing while working made labor less boring. Mothers may have sung primitive tunes to children as an early form of emotional communication.

【小题3】 Group member’s beating drums and making noise during the night signaled that they were alert (警觉的) and ready to fight surprise enemy. Young night watchmen sang to indicate they were awake. Soldiers guarding territory used instruments to send warning calls across longer distances.

In all these ways, music increased survival chances in human evolution. Natural selection then embedded (嵌入) the capacity for music into our biology. Supporting this, scientists have discovered specific regions of the brain devoted to musical processing. Children have an inborn ability to detect musical patterns and different tonal pitches. 【小题4】 So next time you find yourself singing along to an easy tune, remember you are using an evolutionary heritage which goes through thousand years! Music is part of what makes us unique human. In the past, our Stone Age ancestors sang and drummed because it increased survival. 【小题5】