Nature Sub-Journal: The first large-scale genomic study on musicality

The first large-scale genomic study of musicality, published on the cover of today's journal Nature Human Behavior, found 69 genetic variants associated with rhythm synchronization, the ability to move synchronously with the beat of

An international team of scientists, including the Vanderbilt Genetics Institute and 23andMe, demonstrated that the ability of humans to move in sync with musical beats, called beat synchronization, is partially encoded in the

Many of the genes associated with rhythm synchronization are linked to central nervous system function, including genes expressed early in brain development and the basal areas of hearing and motor skills, according to co-senior author Dr.

"Rhythm isn't just influenced by a single gene, it's influenced by hundreds of genes," Gordon said

The study also found that some of the genetic structures for rhythm synchronization are identical to other traits, including biorhythms such as walking, breathing, and circadian rhythms

"This is the biological basis for understanding the relationship between musicality and other health traits," said

23andMe's large research dataset provided research data from more than 600,000 customers who agreed to participate in the study, enabling researchers to identify gene alleles associated with participants' ability to synchronize beats

Dr David Hinds, a researcher and statistical geneticist at 23andMe, said: "The large number of agreed study participants presents our team with a unique opportunity to

First author Dr.