A California sea lion named Ronan has continued to display extraordinary beat-keeping abilities, attracting attention from the scientific community. Ronan, who is now 15 years old, lives at the Long Marine Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She was originally rescued and later became the subject of various studies. In 2013, researchers first documented her ability to move in sync with music, making her one of the few non-human animals known to do so. While most animals cannot follow rhythms like humans, parrots, or some primates, Ronan has shown consistent and advanced performance. A recent study published in Scientific Reports confirmed that she can still follow changing beats, especially to disco songs such as “Boogie Wonderland.” The study was conducted by researchers who had worked with Ronan for over a decade.

To examine her current ability, scientists asked Ronan to respond to percussion beats played at three different tempos: 112, 120, and 128 beats per minute. Two of these tempos were unfamiliar, allowing researchers to observe her cognitive flexibility. The sea lion performed better than ten college students who were asked to move their arms to the same beats. This surprising result supports the hypothesis that beat recognition may not depend only on vocal learning, as previously believed. Experts described Ronan as an outstanding example of animal musicality. The research also suggested that Ronan’s skill has improved over time, indicating potential for lifelong learning. Future studies aim to determine whether other sea lions can also demonstrate this ability, although Ronan is expected to remain a distinguished subject in this field.