Like humans, other primates have social networks consisting of a variety of relationships, including stronger and weaker social bonds. However, how primates use different types of communication (vocalisations, gestures and facial expressions) to manage this complex social world is unclear. We study wild chimpanzee and bonobos to understand how they flexibly use communication to meet the demands arising from living a large social group and the cognitive skills they need to do this. This helps us better understand how these social relationships can be affected by ecology, which is important in informing conservation efforts for the endangered chimpanzee and bonobo. Some of our key findings from this research with wild chimpanzees are:
- Wild chimpanzees have a large repertoire of gestures - voluntary movements of the limbs, head or body posture that are used to communicate in a flexible and intentional way.
- Different types of gestures are used with different types of social bonds, with visual gestures (e.g. arm raise) used with stronger bonds and auditory (e.g. drumming) or tactile (e.g. tap) used with weaker social bonds
- This flexible and intentional communication is underpinned by complex cognitive skills in both the senders and receivers of the communication, and plays an important role in maintaining the large social groups seen in primates.
- Captive chimpanzees are able flexibly use gestures to instruct a naïve human where to find food hidden in their enclosure
We (Dr Sam Roberts, Dr Anna Roberts and Prof Robin Dunbar) recently bought together leadings experts in this field as editors of a Special Edition of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B focused on Cognition, Communication and Social Bonds in Primates.
Dr Anna Roberts has provided some examples of gestural communication in wild chimpanzees on this YouTube page.
Dr Anna Roberts has provided some examples of gestural communication in wild chimpanzees on this YouTube page.