Table 1 Summary statistics of the study database.

From: Convergent evidence for the molecular basis of musical traits

Species

# studies

DNA: candidate + (genome-wide)

RNA:candidate + (genome-wide)

Other molecular information

Phenotype related to musical ability

Phenotype related to music listening

Phenotype related to music practise

Human

35

5 + (5)

1 + (3)

22

16

22

8

Songbird

55

—

16 + (8)

32

19

27

34

Other animals

15

1 + (−)

1 + (3)

12

1

10

5

  1. Some studies include evidence from multiple molecular levels or phenotypes, and thus contribute to multiple subcategories. Phenotypes related to music practise can include for example singing, vocalization and instrument playing as phenotype. Musical ability related studies in non-human species consists mostly of memory and sensitivity period related studies. Many studies reported protein or hormone related evidence (contributing to “other molecular information”). No DNA-level studies on songbirds were discovered. Numbers in brackets in 3rd and 4th columns correspond to the number of genome-wide studies.
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