Rebecca Manzi Another similarity brings us closer to chimpanzees: the way we communicate. In fact, they follow temporal and alternation patterns very similar to ours
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A recent study by the University of St Andrews, published in Current Biology, reveals unexpected similarities between chimpanzee communication and human interactions. Researchers analyzed a large number of gestures among chimpanzees from five wild communities in East Africa, observing over 8,500 interactions involving 252 individuals.
The findings show that conversations among these primates follow temporal and turn-taking patterns remarkably similar to human communication. The study indicates that chimpanzee gestures occur with a speed and rhythm comparable to human verbal exchanges.
Scientists observed that the average pause between a gesture and the next response is around 120 milliseconds, a gap reminiscent of the quick turn-taking characteristic of human conversations. This study suggests that despite the clear differences between human languages and chimpanzee gestures, both communication systems share similar evolutionary mechanisms.
Variations among different chimpanzee communities
The researchers also noted variations among different chimpanzee communities. For instance, responses were faster among members of the Sonso community in Uganda compared to other chimpanzee populations.
This variability mirrors the differences in conversational rhythms observed across human cultures, such as the varied response times between Danes and people of other nationalities. These findings provide a foundation for exploring how conversational structures develop in other social species.
The next steps in this research will involve examining the communication dynamics in highly social animals such as elephants and crows to uncover any similarities with the communication patterns of chimpanzees and humans. This study not only enhances our understanding of animal communication but also raises intriguing questions about how complex communication may have emerged and evolved across different species.
Source: Current Biology
