Chimpanzees use their hands to say "follow me," "stop that" or "take this," according to new research seeking to translate the sophisticated messages flowing back and forth.
Previous research had revealed that our nearest genetic relatives use gestures to communicate, prompting questions over whether the communication systems shared ancestry with the origins of human language.
The new study, published Thursday in the US journal Current Biology, created the first ever chimpanzee dictionary of sorts, deciphering just what the apes were saying to each other.
The researchers said the chimpanzee gestures -- they decoded 66 in total -- can be used in isolation or several can be strung together to create more complex exchanges.
And, importantly, the meaning remained consistent, regardless of which ape was making the gestures.
The messages ranged from "simple requests associated with just a few gestures to broader social negotiation associated with a wider range of gesture types," said the authors from the University of St Andrews in Scotland.
The researchers studied more than 4,500 gestures within more than 3,400 interactions, all captured on film in Uganda between 2007 and 2009.
They determined that when a mother shows the sole of her foot to her baby, she means "climb on me." Touching the arm of another means "scratch me" and chewing leaves calls for sexual attention.
The researchers said their observations revealed unambiguous links between some gestures and outcomes -- like the seductive message of leaf-chewing.
Others seemed to convey more than one idea, like grasping another chimp, which sometimes seemed to indicate "stop," and other times "climb on me" or even "go away."
AFP
Sat Jul 05 2014
chimpanzee
Program larian disertai pelancong berpakaian tidak sopan bukan anjuran kerajaan Johor
Program larian yang didakwa disertai pelancong asing berpakaian kurang sopan dan mempromosi budaya songsang lesbian, gay, biseksual serta transgender (LGBT) bukan anjuran kerajaan negeri.
Imigresen serbu pusat karaoke, 49 GRO dan pelanggan ditahan
JIM Perak menyerbu empat premis pusat hiburan karaoke yang menawarkan GRO warga Myanmar dengan bayaran antara RM450 hingga RM600 di sekitar bandar raya ini, malam tadi.
AWANI Ringkas: Pendatang asing tanpa izin | Kekecohan di Wisma Transit
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Tumpuan Ahad – 06 Oktober 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
Polis siasat dakwaan buli di sekolah berasrama penuh di KL
Polis sedang menjalankan siasatan berhubung dakwaan berlaku kejadian buli membabitkan anak seorang penyanyi dan beberapa individu lain di sebuah sekolah berasrama penuh di ibu negara.
Peruntukan tebatan banjir Sungai Damansara diluluskan, kurangkan risiko di Sungai Buloh
Peruntukan berjumlah RM481 juta bagi Projek Tebatan Banjir Sungai Damansara telah diluluskan sebagai usaha mengurangkan risiko banjir di kawasan Parlimen Sungai Buloh.
AWANI 7:45 [05/10/2024] – Tunggu perkenan Majlis Raja-Raja | Inflasi dan gaji jadi tumpuan | Kes terpencil | Zionis terus angkuh
- Tiga negeri fatwakan GISB sesat, siasatan libat 10 peruntukan
- Belanjawan 2025 tumpu isu inflasi dan naik gaji
- Kekecohan libat warga Palestin mungkin sebab stress, ATM tangani dengan profesional
- Gaza hancur lebur, Beirut hampiri kemusnahan
- Belanjawan 2025 tumpu isu inflasi dan naik gaji
- Kekecohan libat warga Palestin mungkin sebab stress, ATM tangani dengan profesional
- Gaza hancur lebur, Beirut hampiri kemusnahan
Pekebun boleh kemuka tuntutan akibat serangan haiwan liar
Pekebun yang mengalami kerugian hasil tanaman akibat ancaman haiwan liar boleh mengemukakan tuntutan pampasan terhadap kerosakan yang berlaku.
AWANI Ringkas: GISB Holdings | Kes tembakan di Song | PR1MA
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Lelaki rugi RM224,000 terperdaya skim pelaburan tidak wujud
Seorang lelaki warga tempatan berputih mata apabila kerugian RM224,000 setelah terperdaya dengan skim pelaburan tidak wujud yang diiklankan menerusi aplikasi WhastApp.