Wild pygmy chimpanzee or bonobo, emit the same audio signal in a variety of situations, demonstrating the flexibility of its communication, which was previously considered to be inherent in a people.
This is the conclusion a study conducted by psychologists from the UK and Switzerland.
The bonobo is as close to humans on the evolutionary degree of kinship, as well as common chimpanzees, but their communication system has been studied little in nature.
The researchers concluded that the development of a person’s ability to submit voice signals started from common ancestors with bonobos 6-10 million years ago, ie before the scientists say.
The study is published in the scientific Journal PeerJ.
It was long thought that apes, even as highly as chimpanzees and bonobos to communicate using voice signals, which are tied to a specific emotional state. For example, when the danger of loud cries and barking to aggression.
The use of sound in different situations was seen as a prerogative of the man in which this ability develops in very young age.
For example, three-four-month infants can squeal and squeak in different situations, no matter what emotions they are experiencing.
Widespread squeaking
Dr Zanna Clay of Birmingham University noticed that similar behavior is peculiar and bonobos, which she studied in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Apart from the usual screams and growls she heard the squeaking that animals commonly used.
It seems that these sounds were universal. In almost any situation bonobos squeak. “We recorded the squeaking of these animals in different situations” – said Clay in an interview with BBC BBC.
Working in collaboration with colleagues from the Swiss University of Neuchâtel, Clay found that squeak, used in several positive and adverse situations, such as during a meal or on the road, was, as she had supposed, identical in its sound.
This is important because the value squeak partially determined by the context in which it is published.
“By themselves, peeps are not tied to a single value,” – explained to Clay.
Thus, as represented, structural adaptability, which is considered a fundamental part of human language, arose several evolutionary stages earlier than previously thought until now.
It seems that the ability to adaptability in the signal appeared before the advent of man as man, said Clay.
The evolution of communication
Simon Townsend of the University of Zurich studies the evolution of communication in animals. Commenting on the study, he agreed that it fits in understanding the language of multilateralism primates, bonobos and spoiled the attention of scientists were not.
“Not so easy to get close to them in the wild … this is a very important data ‘ – he said.
“This is consistent with the growing awareness that the primates have a sufficient degree of control … and contrary to the existing idea that animals are confined to their emotional state,” – he said.
Townsend also pointed out the importance of the cognitive qualities of bonobos and their ability to understand the meaning of a squeak.
“… Primates seem to have a high output implicit meaning. They needed to be able to distinguish between the value of the signals” – he added.
This is roughly equivalent to what a person can distinguish, in the context of the word “bow”, whether vegetable or weapons.
“According to this study, something like It occurs (bonobo) because squeak in a positive context, is virtually identical to squeak in a neutral context. Therefore, the animal can not understand the significance of acoustic features, it is necessary to use other key information, “- said the scientist.
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