Dear Sir/Madam,

It puzzles me that anyone should be puzzled about the evolutionarily benefits of rhythm (We Got Rhythm; the Mystery Is How and Why, 16 September 2003).

Music transports us beyond our egoistical selves, facilitating our acting (even sacrificing ourselves) for the benefit of our group. From an evolutionary point of view, the group's gene pool counts more than any individual's genes.

Rhythm is also an immense aid to memory (surely a major evolutionary advantage), as anyone who tries remembering the words to a song without uttering or calling to mind its tune, will discover quickly enough.