Title: The Evolutionary and Cognitive Basis of the Perception and Production of Dance
Description: Dance is a universal and ancient human behavior; however, our understanding of the basis of this behavior is surprisingly weak. In this dissertation, I explore the cognitive and evolutionary foundations of human dance, providing evidence of two ways in which the production and perception of dance actions are rooted in the functions of more general cognitive systems. In doing so, I aim to both inform our understanding of dance, and use the study of dance to elucidate broader issues in cognition.