Chimpanzees have 'at least 66 distinct gestures' they use to talk to each other

By Daily Mail Reporter


Communicative: Chimpanzees have at least 66 different mannerisms that they use to talk to each other, according to researchers


Wild chimpanzees use more than twice the number of gestures to communicate than previously thought, scientists have said.

The animals have at least 66 different mannerisms that they use to talk to each other, according to researchers from the University Of St Andrews in Scotland.

It was previously thought that chimpanzees had just 30 distinct gestures, although this figure was arrived at following observations of animals in captivity.


Lead researcher Dr Catherine Hobaiter and her team spent two years analysing 120 hours of footage of chimpanzees interacting in Budongo Conservation Field Station, Uganda.

They closely studied the animals' mannerisms for repeat gestures and concluded that they have a 'large repertoire'.

'We think people previously were only seeing fractions of this,' Dr Hobaiter told the BBC. 'Because when you study the animals in captivity you don't see all their behaviour.

'You wouldn't see them hunting for monkeys, taking females away on "courtships", or encountering neighbouring groups of chimpanzees.'

The team spent so long in the chimps' company that they got to know each other and the animals 'got on with their daily lives'.

They found that the chimpanzees clearly beckoned to each other.


At play: The scientists found that the chimpanzees clearly beckoned to each other and behaved remarkably like humans at times


In one piece of footage, a mother gestures for her daughter to climb on her back; in another, a child holds another young chimp's hand to encourage it to play.

The study suggests that there is a common system of communication across the species, as opposed to there being individual gestures for each group.

Not only that, but there is a significant overlap in signals used by gorillas and orangutans.

The research is published in the journal Animal Cognition.

Scientists have previously shown that chimpanzees comfort the victims of bullies with a consoling hug and a reassuring peck on the cheek to help lower stress levels.

It was found that chimps comfort each other after fighting and are less stressed after a cuddle.



source:dailymail