Chimpanzees Share Human-Like Conversational Patterns, New Study Finds

Most people do not know how close they are to humans.

Chimpanzees and humans share 98.8% of their DNA, and now it appears they share similar conversational patterns too. According to new research published in the journal Current Biology, chimpanzees exchange gestures with each other in a rapid-fire manner, similar to human conversational turn-taking.

‘Amazing’ similarities between chimpanzee and human conversations – study.https://t.co/KigQ1Tkmuk

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The study, led by first author Gal Badihi, analyzed over 8,500 gestures made by chimpanzees across five areas of East Africa. It found that 14% of these communications involved back-and-forth gesturing between two individual chimps. The timing of these exchanges closely matched human conversational reactions, with a mere 120 milliseconds between gestures.

Badihi noted that the quick, reciprocal nature of chimpanzee gesturing suggests similar evolutionary mechanisms are at play in both human and chimpanzee social interactions. The researchers also observed slight variations among different chimp communities, akin to the cultural differences in conversation pace seen among human groups. For example, chimps in Uganda’s Sonso community responded more slowly compared to others.

Chimpanzee gestural exchanges share temporal structure with human language: Current Biology 🧪 https://t.co/MNuTqYDYL4

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These findings imply that the communication systems of humans and chimpanzees may have shared ancestral origins, indicating that such interactive communication is not unique to humans but is widespread among social animals. However, researchers like Hobaiter point out that more questions remain, such as the specifics of when these conversational structures evolved and why. To answer these, further studies on communication in more distantly related species like elephants or ravens are needed.

Key Points:

• Chimps and humans share 98.8% of DNA and similar conversational patterns.
• Research analyzed 8,500 chimp gestures, finding 14% involved back-and-forth exchanges.
• Timing of chimp gestures matches human conversational reaction times (120 milliseconds).
• Cultural variations in conversation pace were observed among different chimp communities.
• Findings suggest shared evolutionary origins of communication in social animals.

Charles William III – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News