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Wild Chimpanzees Inform Ignorant Group Members of Danger

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  • 04-01-2012 2:10am
    #1
    F.R.
    Registered Users Posts: 334 ✭✭


    Seems Chimpanzees are aware if their companions have seen a danger and will alert them if they haven't.

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229131234.htm
    This study shows that these are not only intentionally produced alert calls, but that they are produced more when the audience is ignorant of the danger. "It is as if the chimpanzees really understand that they know something the audience does not AND they understand that by producing a specific vocalization they can provide the audience with that information," concludes Wittig. Some scientists suggest that providing group members with missing information by means of communication is a crucial stage in the evolution of language: why inform audience members if you do not realize they need the information? Until now it was not clear at what point in hominoid or hominid evolution this stage evolved. It has been assumed that it was more likely to be during hominid evolution. This study suggests, however, that it was already present when our common ancestor split off from chimps 6 million years ago.


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    #2
    Mickeroo
    Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,154 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Pretty interesting. There seems to have been a lot of discoveries into chimp communication and intelligence the last few years. I remember reading something about them being shown to make long term plans, they observed a chimp systematically collecting stones, making them into sort of discs and keeping them until he got an opportunity to chuck them at visitors to the zoo :D

    There was also something about them performing better than humans in some memory tests and also evidence of altruism (when they're not killing strangers to expand their territory ;))


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