Chimpanzee gestural exchanges share temporal structure with human language.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Cell Press Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9107782 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1879-0445 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 09609822 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Curr Biol Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: Cambridge, MA : Cell Press
      Original Publication: London, UK : Current Biology Ltd., c1991-
    • Subject Terms:
      Pan troglodytes*/psychology ; Pan troglodytes*/physiology ; Gestures* ; Language* ; Animal Communication*; Animals ; Humans ; Female ; Male
    • Abstract:
      Humans regularly engage in efficient communicative conversations, which serve to socially align individuals 1 . In conversations, we take fast-paced turns using a human-universal structure of deploying and receiving signals which shows consistent timing across cultures 2 . We report here that chimpanzees also engage in rapid signal-to-signal turn-taking during face-to-face gestural exchanges with a similar average latency between turns to that of human conversation. This correspondence between human and chimpanzee face-to-face communication points to shared underlying rules in communication. These structures could be derived from shared ancestral mechanisms or convergent strategies that enhance coordinated interactions or manage competition for communicative 'space'.
      Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests.
      (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20240723 Date Completed: 20240723 Latest Revision: 20240723
    • Publication Date:
      20240725
    • Accession Number:
      10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.009
    • Accession Number:
      39043136