Chimpanzees may Communicate with Others through Hand Gestures

Though chimpanzees split from humans close to six million years ago, they're certainly not unfamiliar with developed communication. For these guys, it's all in wrist-or in the hands, at least.

According to researchers at Georgia State University, they found that chimps communicated with one another through common hand gestures. For their study, they analyzed the behaviors of these creatures by testing their relation to humans when food was hidden at various locations outdoors. They discovered that chimpanzees were able to communicate with other chimps and even humans where the food was located by simply using hand gestures.

The researchers then came up with a test to determine if they could find a piece of food that was purposely hidden in a large area. Though the humans involved in the study did not know where the food was hidden, the chimps' hand gestures helped point it out.

"It allows the chimpanzees to communicate information in the manner of their choosing, but also requires them to initiate and to persist in communication," said Dr. Charles Menzel, a senior research scientist at the Language Research Center, in a press release. "The chimpanzees used gestures to recruit the assistance of an otherwise uninformed person and to direct the person to hidden objects 10 or more meters away. Because of the openness of this paradigm, the findings illustrate the high level of intentionality chimpanzees are capable of, including their use of directional gestures. This study adds to our understanding of how well chimpanzees can remember and communicate about their environment."

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Nature Communications.