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. 2021 Aug 23;376(1835):20200336. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0336

Table 1.

Periodic behavioural rates across different species and contexts. Periodic movement rates were collected from a wide range of empirical and observational studies. The first column specifies the species and the source. The second column specifies the type of movement or behaviour. The third column lists the recorded behavioural rate or rates. These are presented as a range when available, otherwise as a single value. In certain cases, these numbers were estimated from graphical representations where numerical tables were not available. The fourth column addresses the context for measurement, whether the behaviour was elicited in some way by humans (e.g. the animal was chased to run, or trained to produce a behaviour) or occurred spontaneously as part of the animal's natural repertoire. In addition, laboratory studies are further labelled here as experimental. The fifth column addresses whether the behaviour is likely to be social or not. Behaviours are listed as yes (almost certainly produced in a naturally occurring socially relevant context), ‘no,’ (almost certainly not produced in a naturally occurring socially relevant context) or ‘maybe.’ Behaviours coded as ‘maybe’ are further specified as: ‘maybe(a)’—locomotion behaviour sometimes used in herd/flock contexts, ‘maybe(b)’—used sometimes in social contexts but the function of the behaviour is not agreed on and ‘maybe(c)’—trained or instructed behaviours that would not typically occur in natural contexts but are elicited in experimental settings that may have a social or parasocial context. Italicized rows correspond to the data visualized in figure 1.

species behaviour cycles/second (Hz) context social?
bobwhite [30] gait 1.5–4.5 naturally occurring maybe(a)
guineafowl [30] gait 0.7–3 naturally occurring maybe(a)
turkey [30] gait 1.2–2.2 naturally occurring maybe(a)
emu [30] gait 1–1.5 naturally occurring maybe(a)
rhea [30] gait 0.8–1.5 naturally occurring maybe(a)
ostrich [30] gait 0.8–1.3 naturally occurring maybe(a)
human [30] gait 0.7–1.2 naturally occurring maybe(a)
painted quail [30] gait 2–7 naturally occurring maybe(a)
macaque [34] teeth chattering 5.7 mean naturally occurring yes
C. sea lion [35] in air non-directed barking 2.1 mean naturally occurring yes
C. sea lion [35] in air directed barking 2.5 mean naturally occurring yes
C. sea lion [35] underwater non-directed barking 1 naturally occurring yes
C. sea lion [35] underwater directed barking 1.4 naturally occurring yes
bonobo [36] contest hooting 3–4 naturally occurring yes
Thailand fireflies [3] flashing 1.8 naturally occurring yes
ostracode crustaceans [37] flashing 0.3–2 naturally occurring yes
ponyfish [12] flashing 1.8 naturally occurring yes
cicada [38] ticking 16–25 naturally occurring yes
cicada [38] buzzing 3.6–6.7 naturally occurring yes
katydid [39] chirps (stridulation) 1.8–5.0 naturally occurring yes
katydid [39] forewing strid 14–250 naturally occurring yes
snowy tree cricket [40] chirps (stridulation) 2.2–2.6 naturally occurring yes
Japanese tree frog [41] vocal chorusing 3.5 naturally occurring yes
fiddler crab [14] claw waving 1.7 naturally occurring yes
dolphin [42] surfacing while travelling 0.003–0.009 naturally occurring yes
dolphin [43] breathing interval 0.01–0.2 naturally occurring yes
right whale dolphin [44] burst pulses 4–11.3 naturally occurring maybe(b)
bottlenose dolphin [22] whistles 1–6 naturally occurring yes
gelada [45] synch calls 2–3.5 naturally occurring yes
male mouse [46] ultrasonic vocalizations 1.3–5.4 naturally occurring yes
bat [47] echolocation 5–200 naturally occurring maybe(b)
human [31] daily movement 2 mean naturally occuring maybe(b)
human [48] music tempo 2 mean averaged from popular songs maybe(b)
Snowball (cockatoo) [49] bobbing 1.7–2.2 untrained to music, experimental maybe(c)
bonobo [50] one-hand drumming 4.2–4.8 untrained, experimental maybe(c)
giraffe [33] gait 1.3 chased to run, field maybe(a)
buffalo [33] gait 2.2 chased to run, field maybe(a)
eland [33] gait 2.7 chased to run, field maybe(a)
zebra [33] gait 3 chased to run, field maybe(a)
wildebeest [33] gait 2.9 chased to run, field maybe(a)
hartebeest [33] gait 2.3 chased to run, field maybe(a)
topi [33] gait 2.5 chased to run, field maybe(a)
warthog [33] gait 3.5 chased to run, field maybe(a)
impala [33] gait 2.3 chased to run, field maybe(a)
Thomson's gazelle [33] gait 3 chased to run, field maybe(a)
budgerigars [51] pecking 0.6–2.2 trained, experimental maybe(b)
macaque [18] tapping 1–2.2 trained, experimental maybe(c)
chimpanzee [52] tapping 2.2–2.8 trained, experimental maybe(c)
Ronan (C. sea lion) [53] bobbing 1.2–2.3 trained, experimental maybe(c)
human age 4–5 [54] tapping 2.4–5 experimental maybe(c)
human age 6–7 [54] tapping 2.5–5.7 experimental maybe(c)
human age 8–9 [54] tapping 1.4–3.1 experimental maybe(c)
human age 10–12 [54] tapping 1.4–3.3 experimental maybe(c)
human age 18–38 [54] tapping 1.1–2.9 experimental maybe(c)
human age 39–59 [54] tapping 1.3–4.4 experimental maybe(c)
human age 60–74 [54] tapping 1.2–2.9 experimental maybe(c)
human age 75+ [54] tapping 1.2–2.5 experimental maybe(c)