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| Chimpanzees sitting together (Source: Getty Images/curioustiger) |
Non-human primates have been widely studied for decades, and there have been several studies related to their capabilities in communicating with each other. From these studies it is known that non-human primates can and do communicate through call systems, which are short utterances of sound that have limited meaning but are understood by all members of the species. Several primatologists have even identified specific call’s meaning and given them a name. For example, pant hoots demonstrate excitement, whereas threat barks show annoyance or act as a warning to leave the primate alone. Several individuals have also successfully taught non-human primates sign language, enabling these individual primates to communicate with humans in various complex ways.
Unfortunately, non-human primates have not demonstrated an ability to create their own languages, be it verbal or nonverbal. Or so scholars thought until recently. A study published in Communications Biology provided new evidence that chimpanzees may have developed very basic language. The researchers analyzed close to 5000 recordings of 46 wild adult chimpanzees from Taï National Park, located in the African country of the Ivory Coast. From listening and studying these recordings the researchers realized that these chimpanzees produced close to 400 unique vocal sequences, which in layman’s terms are words. These were basic constructions of two calls, which made up 30% of their communications, but there were some combinations of three calls, which made up 15% of their communications.
This amazing discovery is revolutionizing ideas about chimpanzees from various angles. It shows that they are far more intelligent than previously understood, which is a high bar since chimpanzees have demonstrated profound intellectual abilities previously. This information can also provide insights into what early human language creation may have looked like, which is something that we are unable to gain through traditional methods (since language is non-material culture and cannot be preserved in the paleoanthropological records). This evidence is also exciting because it shows that chimpanzees may have the capacity to extend their language capabilities. This will be realized as further study into their communication patterns continue.
References
Girard-Buttoz, C., Zaccarella, E., Bortolato, T., Friederici, A., & Witting, R. C. (2022, May 16). Chimpanzees produce diverse vocal sequences with ordered and recombinatorial properties. Communications Biology.
Johnson, E. (2023, September 2). Chimpanzee Sounds and Communication. Retrieved from Project Chimps: https://projectchimps.org/chimpanzee_sounds_and_communication/
Rozsa, M. (2022, May 22). Chimpanzees have their own language — and scientists just learned how they put "words" together. Salon.
4 comments:
Until I read this blog, I thought that humans were the only people on earth who used their own language. However, as I read through this blog, I found out that according to researchers, chimpanzees communicate by generating about 400 words. I had seen some TV program that said chimpanzees are about 98% DNA identical to humans, so I was not too surprised by the results of this study. I felt from this blog that not only chimpanzees but also other non-human primates may be using their own communication tools like chimpanzees as well as the call system.
By Ryota Haga
This article on non-primate communication, specifically chimpanzee communication, was interesting. I had known that some primates could be taught to use simple sign language, however I was surprised to learn that chimpanzees in the Ivory Coast appear to have developed a simple language made of 400 vocal sequences. I think this is a very big break through in primate research and I am curious about what we will learn about them in the future.
By Derrik Pippert
The article shows us that chimpanzees can use different vocal sequences by combining different calls in complex ways. This shows that their communication is more complex than previously thought. This research could change our understanding of animal intelligence and communication if chimpanzees and perhaps other primates can create using vocal Combinations. This means that their communication skills may be far more advanced than previously thought
Matthieu Biembongo
The article excites me because I'm constantly thinking about the different ways that animals could communicate in their own way. Just like we have our own language and can understand each other even, I knew for a fact animals have to have some sort of way they communicate with one another. Now after reading I know that there is evidence that chimpanzees use different sounds that mimic words, and that they may have created basic language.
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