Facebook for chimpanzees! Monkeys have their own individual drumbeats that they use to send messages to their friends more than 3,280 feet away, a study shows
- New study shows chimpanzees have their own individual drumbeats
- These beats are used to send messages to their friends who are more than 3,280 feet away
- Allows them to send information about who is where and what they are doing
- The researchers were able to identify certain chimpanzees based on their drum rhythm
When it comes to staying in touch with friends, chimpanzees seem to have their own brand of social media.
Forget Facebook though, the monkeys use their own individual drumbeats to send messages to their friends more than 1km away, a new study has found.
They use the huge roots of rainforest trees to carry the sounds of their thumping their hands and feet through dense, damp forests.
Scientists discovered that some chimpanzees in Budongo Forest in Uganda have a regular rhythm like rock and blues drummers, while others have more syncopated or variable rhythms like jazz.
The University of St. Andrews study shows that male chimpanzees have their own distinctive rhythms that allow them to send information showing who is where and what they are doing.
Playing a tune: Chimpanzees use their own individual drumbeats (pictured) to send messages to their friends more than 1 km away, a new study has found
They use the huge roots of rainforest trees to carry the sounds of their thumping their hands and feet through dense, damp forests
The researchers were able to identify individual chimpanzees by their drumming and said some had beats so fast they could barely see their hands moving.
The lead study author, Dr. Catherine Hobaiter said: “We could often tell who was drumming when we heard them and it was a fantastic way to find the different chimpanzees we were looking for – so if we could do it we were sure they would.” it could too .
“It’s nice to finally be able to show how it works.
“One thing that has always been a mystery is why chimpanzees seem to greet each other but very rarely say goodbye.
“Our results could help explain this – chimpanzees are rarely truly out of contact, even when these signals are miles apart over long distances, they can stay in touch with who’s where.”
“It’s like they have their own social media that allows them to check in throughout the day.”
The chimpanzees combine their drumming with long-distance calls called pant-hoots, and different males also drum at different points in the call.
Lead author, PhD student Vesta Eleuteri, said: “This really looks like chimpanzee social media.
“In fact, we also found that chimps drummed more often when they were alone or in small groups.
“That means they drum to know where others are and decide whether or not to join them.”
Scientists discovered that some chimpanzees in Budongo Forest in Uganda have a regular rhythm like rock and blues drummers, while others have more syncopated or variable rhythms like jazz
The University of St. Andrews study shows that male chimpanzees have distinctive rhythms that allow them to send information showing who is where and what they are doing
She added: “I was surprised that after only a few weeks in the forest I could see who was drumming.
“But their drum rhythms are so distinctive that you can easily understand them.
“For example, Tristan – the John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) of the woods – does very fast drums with lots of evenly spaced beats.
“His drumming is so fast you can hardly see his hands.
“Ben, the alpha male, also has a particular style: he hits two closely spaced shots, separated by one or two more distant shots.”
The research team now plans to study group differences to see if there are distinct drumming cultures among different chimpanzee populations.
The study was published in the journal Animal Behaviour.
