. Chimpanzees can learn new words and sounds by joining new communities of chimps. One community of chimpanzees at Edinburgh Zoo spoke the word “apple” with a particular grunt, while another group at Beekse Bergen Safari Park (the Netherlands) used a different grunt to describe the same fruit. After some Dutch chimpanzees joined the Scottish community three years ago, their sound for “apple” had changed to match that of their new group. This means that chimpanzees can “converge” their speech when they come across two different communities. Listen to these four audio recordings. Researchers at Zurich, Switzerland and York University in England claim that their research is the first to show that chimps are capable of learning calls that relate to particular objects. Paul (left), Beekse Bergen group. (Photo credit: Emma K Wallace). Emma, Edinburgh group. Photo credit to Jamie Norris. Chimpanzees make specific sounds when they find particular foods. Their peers can understand their grunts. Scientists believed that the structure of chimp’s calls was not controlled by them. The structure of their calls could be interpreted as a sign of arousal (i.e. They may use language to express general excitement about the food or a preference. The investigators were able to examine whether the structure of chimps can be changed by integrating adult Dutch chimpanzees with resident chimps in Edinburgh Zoo. This study was published in Current Biology, a peer-reviewed journal. Researchers noticed that each animal spoke a different language and had different grunts for apples before integration. The researchers also discovered that they had different preferences. Three years later, the “new” chimps adopted a new grunt for apples. After three years, they had modified their grunt sound to represent apple. They had taken over the language of another group. Animal psychologists and biologists have long believed that primates other than humans can use vocalizations to refer to objects outside their environment. Arousal states are also assumed to have fixed acoustic structures. Researchers have suggested that the apparent inflexibility of non-human primates over what sounds they make is a sign that they don’t possess language. This assumption has been challenged by Dr. Katie Slocombe of the Department of Psychology, University of York and her colleagues. According to them, captive chimps “learned” specific grunts that were related to certain foods. Further, the researchers found that chimps can adapt their meaning grunts over time to match the sounds of others in the new environment. Researchers recorded Dutch chimps “apple” grunts before and after integration in 2010,, 2011 (after incorporation), and finally in 2013.. After strong friendships have been established, call structures tend to converge. Dr. Slocombe’s team recorded the Dutch chimps’ “apple” grunts before integration in 2010, then again in 2011 and finally, in 2013. This data is the first to show that non-human animals can modify and learn the structure of a meaningful referential voice. Dr. Slocombe and his team reported that within one year of integration, the new residents had not changed their “apple” grunt. It was only then that social network analyses showed that there were strong friendships between the original subgroups. This basic ability is shared by humans and chimpanzees. It suggests that we may have had a common ancestor over six million years. Current Biology. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.12.032. 1. 2010, Frek, a Dutch chimp, has a high-pitched grunt. http://marketbusinessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Sound-1-Frek-2010.wav 2. 2010, Lucy, an Edinburgh chimp, has a higher-pitched grunt. http://marketbusinessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Sound-2-Lucy-2010.wav 3.In 2013, Frek’s grunt has changed and sounds more like Lucy’s. http://marketbusinessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Sound-3-Frek-2013.wav 4. In 2013, Lucy’s grunt. http://marketbusinessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Sound-4-Lucy-2013-apples.wav Update, November 2015: A new study says the researchers’ conclusions were flawed.
When they are moved to another group, chimps acquire new languages
