Nature & Environment
Chimpanzees Learn the 'Languages' of Different Social Groups with New Grunts
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Feb 06, 2015 08:04 AM EST
It turns out that chimps have their own language-and can even learn new words. Chimpanzees have special grunts for particular types of foods, and their fellow chimps know exactly what those calls mean. Now, scientists have found that primate cousins change these grunts over time to make them sound more like their peers-essentially learning a new "language."
Scientists have generally accepted that the acoustic structure of chimpanzee calls is fixed, with the differences primarily a result of the animals' arousal state. Now, though, researchers have found that the acoustic structure of referential food grunts produced by two groups of adult chimpanzees actually converged over the course of three years as its members got to know each other better. Not only that, but this convergence had nothing to do with individual food preferences.
"Our study shows that chimpanzee referential food calls are not fixed in their structure and that, when exposed to a new social group, chimpanzees can change their calls to sound more like their group mates," said Katie Slocombe, one of the researchers, in a news release.
These latest findings actually represent the first evidence of non-human animals actively modifying and socially learning the structure of a meaningful referential vocalization from other members of their species. Not only that, but it suggests that chimpanzees share a "building block" of language with humans.
"It would be really exciting to try and find out why chimpanzees are motivated to sound more similar to their group mates," said Simon Townsend, one of the researchers. "Is it so that they can be better understood? Or is it just to sound more similar to their friends?"
The findings are published in the journal Current Biology.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
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First Posted: Feb 06, 2015 08:04 AM EST
It turns out that chimps have their own language-and can even learn new words. Chimpanzees have special grunts for particular types of foods, and their fellow chimps know exactly what those calls mean. Now, scientists have found that primate cousins change these grunts over time to make them sound more like their peers-essentially learning a new "language."
Scientists have generally accepted that the acoustic structure of chimpanzee calls is fixed, with the differences primarily a result of the animals' arousal state. Now, though, researchers have found that the acoustic structure of referential food grunts produced by two groups of adult chimpanzees actually converged over the course of three years as its members got to know each other better. Not only that, but this convergence had nothing to do with individual food preferences.
"Our study shows that chimpanzee referential food calls are not fixed in their structure and that, when exposed to a new social group, chimpanzees can change their calls to sound more like their group mates," said Katie Slocombe, one of the researchers, in a news release.
These latest findings actually represent the first evidence of non-human animals actively modifying and socially learning the structure of a meaningful referential vocalization from other members of their species. Not only that, but it suggests that chimpanzees share a "building block" of language with humans.
"It would be really exciting to try and find out why chimpanzees are motivated to sound more similar to their group mates," said Simon Townsend, one of the researchers. "Is it so that they can be better understood? Or is it just to sound more similar to their friends?"
The findings are published in the journal Current Biology.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone