Which hypothesis posits that music and dance evolved from coordinated territorial defence signals?

• A. Coalition signaling hypothesis
• B. Sexual selection hypothesis
• C. Social bonding hypothesis
• D. Language-based hypothesis

Answer: (A)

Coalition signaling explains how music and dance could arise from groups coordinating their actions to defend territory. When a group needs to deter rivals, synchronized movements and rhythmic signals help align responses, reinforce unity, and broadcast collective strength. Over time, these coordinated displays can become more elaborate, evolving into music and dance as enduring cultural practices that support territorial defense and coalition coordination. The other hypotheses point to different pressures—sexual selection emphasizes mate attraction, social bonding focuses on inside-group cooperation without defense, and language-based links to communicative precursors—but they don't as directly explain how coordinated territorial defense signals might transform into the patterned, rhythmic expressions we see in music and dance.