Similarities Between Bonobos And Chimpanzees

Words: 1177
Pages: 5
Open Document
Journal Article Review
Comparing great ape gesturing across species has been limited to specific gestures in past studies, without questioning whether the gestures share the same meanings. Bonobos and chimpanzees are closely related species within the great ape family, and both use gestures to communicate. Although researchers have recently catalogued the meanings of chimpanzee gestures, little is known about the gesture meanings of bonobo gestures. The bonobo gestures overlap approximately 90% with the chimpanzee, but these similarities may not extend to the meanings of the gesture. Scientists determined the meanings of bonobo gestures by analyzing the outcomes of gesturing that apparently satisfy the signaler. They then used a randomization …show more content…
Nevertheless, more research is necessary to determine how such gestures and gesture meanings are acquired. But simply using the same actions does not mean that chimpanzees and bonobos share a communication system and would be able to understand one another. Only if bonobo and chimpanzee gestures share the same meanings can they be said to share the same communication system. Ultimately, the researchers concluded that bonobos, like chimpanzees, are using gestures to achieve distinct outcomes. Biological inheritance is one possible explanation for this overlap, but the researchers recognize that similar gestures and meanings may have emerged through another acquisition mechanism, such as imitation. Bonobos and chimpanzees also have similar environmental and anatomical constraints that may limit the available gestures and desired outcomes. More research is required to determine the precise mechanism behind the overlap of gesture meanings. It is probable that this pattern of gestures and meanings was also used by the last common ancestor we shared with two Panspecies and would have been able to use and understand most of the gestures of modern bonobos and chimpanzees. Another explanation is that the elaborate shared Pan gestures and meanings could have evolved after diverging from the hominin lineage. If scientists can determine if humans share or understand these great ape gestures, they can determine which of the two possible explanations is more likely an important contribution to the evolution of language, but it is unclear how gestures as were clearly manifested in nonhuman great apes relates to gestures as they manifest in humans alongside thought and language. In the future, researchers would ideally be able to compare the meanings of gestures among a range of primate species to determine if more closely related species have more similar gestures. Understanding this ‘baseline’ of
Show More

Related Documents: Similarities Between Bonobos And Chimpanzees

Bonobo Research Paper

Anthropology-101 BONOBOS Species Origination and Geographical Distribution -The bonobo is the most recently discovered great ape in modern times. It was revealed in 1929 by German anatomist Ernest Schwarz that a skull once thought belonging to a juvenile chimpanzee was in fact a new subspecies of chimpanzee known now as the Pan paniscus, or bonobo. (Waal 6) During the Pleistocene epoch approximately 1.5 million years ago, the Congo River was formed in what is now the Democratic Republic…

Words 1286 - Pages 6

Essay On The Pros And Cons Of Animals

Humans share a lot of similarities with animals, some more than others (In 2005 researcher found that we share somewhere in between 98.6% and 99% of DNA with chimpanzees, and in 2012 it was found that we share 99.6% with Bonobos. Recent studies show that we also share a 90% of our genes with cats). Sharing big amounts of genetic data with animals makes them a target for psychological research, however what are the pros and cons of animals usage in their research. Will look at the ethicalness, usefulness…

Words 915 - Pages 4

Apes In English

human language. Since the 1960s and 1970s, a multitude of studies have been initiated to investigate the ability of apes to learn our complex human language. Many different methods are being attempted in different species of apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and bonobos in order to discover the answer to this heavily debated issue among the biological community. There are two major opposing sides in this argument which focuses on the ability of these clever animals to produce language. Many researchers…

Words 1849 - Pages 8

Essay on Language Evolution

Evolution of Language LING 100 Evolution In the “struggle for life, any variation, however slight and from whatever cause proceeding, if it be in any degree profitable to an individual or any species, in its infinitely complex relations to other organic beings and to the external nature, will tend to the preservation of the individual, and will generally be inherited by its offspring.” - Charles Darwin (1859) Origins of Language n How did language evolve? n Religions provide various explanations…

Words 2362 - Pages 10

Cultural Behavior Essay

Hutterites. They were English speaking group of European Descent who practiced a form of Christianity that emphasized pacifism and tolerance. Wanted to take fingerprints, influenced by genes, and collect genealogical data to document genetic changes between populations and across generations. For one month of fieldwork experience – taking fingerprints, recording family relationships, observing colony life, and befriending the Hutterites of this and a related Bruderhof in Alberta. Was curious about…

Words 8733 - Pages 35

Anth101 Study Guide Essay

interrelated * Cultural anthropology * Archaeology * Biological or physical anthropology * Linguistic anthropology Cultural Anthropology Combines ethnography (人种学) and ethnology（民族学）to study human societies and cultures to explain similarities and differences. Ethnography focuses on a particular community, society, or culture based on information collected during fieldwork, which involves living in the community (e.g., 6 months to 2 years). Emphasizes local behavior, beliefs, customs…

Words 9384 - Pages 38