Latest news with #CatHobaiter
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Chimpanzee Communication Patterns Shaped by Mothers, Study Finds
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Human's closest living relatives, Chimpanzees, primarily learn their communicative patterns from their mothers and maternal relatives, according to a new study. Newsweek has reached out to the study's lead author for comment via email on Saturday. Why It Matters Humans and chimpanzees share an overwhelming majority of their DNA, a similarity that makes chimpanzees important for studying human biology, evolution, and behavior. The study finds that key aspects of chimpanzees' communication are shaped by social learning and interactions rather than strictly genetics, emphasizing the power of maternal influence. Since humans also learn communication behaviors from those they interact with most, the study's findings suggest this trait may date back to the common ancestor of both species nearly 8 million years ago. What To Know A study published this month in the PLOS Biology journal, found that young chimps mainly learn various vocal and visual patterns of communication from their mothers and maternal relatives. Over months, researchers observed around 60 chimps in Kibale National Park in Uganda. Chimpanzee mothers are the primary caregivers for their young until about age 10, providing what researchers describe as a "social template." The study found "variation in the number of vocal–visual combinations produced per communicative event in chimpanzees is predicted by maternal kinship, with individuals from the same matriline producing similar numbers of vocal–visual combinations to each other," noting that their patterns were not explained by their fathers or any paternal family members. A study last November found that chimp's social behavior is "contagious," meaning they are likely to mimic behavior of those around them. Studies often show how closely linked chimps and humans are, with a May study reporting on wild chimps self-medicating their wounds with plants as well as providing medical aid to other chimps in need. Several chimpanzees at the Barcelona Zoo are seen on August 5. Several chimpanzees at the Barcelona Zoo are seen on August 5. Europa Press via AP What People Are Saying Joseph Mine, lead researcher and a biologist at the University of Rennes in France, told NPR: "This fact that we acquire parts of our communication socially seems to be potentially a very ancient trait — a feature of our lineage for several million years." Cat Hobaiter, a primatologist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, told NPR: "We're seeing such similarities across the ape species. My bet is that we would see something similar in gorillas and orangutans. Then we're talking about something that might be 16, 17 million years old — so long before humans were human, apes were learning socially from each other."
CBC
23-05-2025
- Science
- CBC
May 24: How to live forever, and more...
Apart from their rich vocal palette, chimpanzees drum on trees to communicate over long distances. A new interdisciplinary study, led in part by PhD student Vesta Eleuteri and primatologist Cat Hobaiter from the University of St. Andrews, investigated the rhythms they used and found that different populations drum with rhythms similar to the beats in human music. The research was published in the journal Current Biology. The Archaeopteryx, a 150-million-year-old bird-like dinosaur, is known from about a dozen fossils found in Germany. A new one recently studied at Chicago's Field Museum may be the best preserved yet. It's giving researchers, like paleontologist Jingmai O'Connor, new insights into how the ancient animal moved around the Jurassic landscape. The research was published in the journal Nature. Inspired by the structure of bone, researchers have created limestone-like biomineralized construction materials using a fungal-scaffold that they seeded with bacteria. Montana State University's Chelsea Heveran said they demonstrated they could mould it into specific shapes with internal properties similar to bone, and that it remained alive for a month. It's early days yet, but she envisions a day when they can grow living structural material on site that may even be able to heal themselves. The study is in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. Scientists have created a clever combination of physical sensors and computer technology to produce a flexible Band-Aid-like device that can accurately read emotions when it is stuck to the face. It's not quite mind reading, but it could give physicians better insight into the emotional state of their patients. Huanyu Cheng of Penn State led the work, which was published in the journal Nano Letters. Do you want to live forever? As he noticed himself showing signs of aging, immunologist John Tregoning decided to find out what he could do to make that possible. So he explored the investigations that scientists are doing into why we age and die — and tried a few experiments on himself. Bob speaks with him about his new book, Live Forever? A Curious Scientists' Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death. Tregoning dutifully documents everything he discovers as he undergoes testing for his heart, gets his genes sequenced, has a bronchoscopy, and follows an extreme diet, among other experiments. But he comes to the conclusion that "when it comes to improving life outcomes, exercise considerably trumps nearly everything I am planning to do whilst writing this book."
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Chimpanzee study reveals musical secrets of humans' ancient ancestor
Chimpanzees drum on tree trunks with regular rhythms, suggesting rhythmic drumming may predate humans, a new study reveals. This discovery offers intriguing insights into the potential rhythmic abilities of our last common ancestor, shared some six million years ago. Analysis of 371 drumming bouts by chimpanzees demonstrates a clear rhythmic pattern in their tree-trunk percussion, according to University of Amsterdam music cognition researcher Henkjan Honing. This reinforces the idea that rhythm plays a significant role in chimpanzee communication. "Our ability to produce rhythm – and to use it in our social worlds – that seems to be something that predates humans being human," explains study co-author Cat Hobaiter, a primatologist at the University of St Andrews. This builds upon previous research indicating individual chimps possess unique drumming styles, further solidifying the rhythmic nature of their communication. When bounding through the jungle, chimps will often grab hold of the tall buttress roots of rainforest trees. Sometimes they pound them several times to create low-frequency sounds that can be heard for a kilometre or more through the forest. Scientists believe that the drumming is a form of long-distance communication, perhaps to alert other chimps where one chimp is waiting or the direction it is travelling. 'It's a way of socially checking in,' said Hobaiter, adding that each chimp has its own 'individual signature – a pattern of beats that allows you to recognise who's producing that drumming'. The new work showed that chimps from different regions of Africa drum with distinctly different rhythms, with western chimps preferring a more even beat while eastern chimps used varied short and long intervals between beats. The research was published on Friday in the journal Current Biology. It's well-known that chimps use tools such as rocks to crack open nuts and sticks to 'fish' termites from their mounds. Tree roots can also be tools, the researchers say. Chimps are selective about which roots they pound, said co-author Catherine Crockford, a primatologist at the CNRS Institute for Cognitive Sciences in France. Certain shapes and wood varieties create sounds that travel well through dense jungle. The drummings are likely "a very important way to make contact", she said.
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Chimpanzees drum with regular rhythm when they beat on tree trunks, a form of ancient communication
Chimpanzees drum with regular rhythm when they beat on tree trunks, a new study shows. Chimpanzees and humans last shared a common ancestor around 6 million years ago. Scientists suspect this ancient ancestor must have been a drummer — using beats to communicate. 'Our ability to produce rhythm — and to use it in our social worlds — that seems to be something that predates humans being human,' said study co-author Cat Hobaiter, a University of St Andrews primatologist. Previous research has shown that chimps have their own signature drumming style. A new analysis of 371 bouts of chimpanzee drumming demonstrates that the chimps 'clearly play their instruments -- the tree trunks -- with regular rhythms,' said University of Amsterdam music cognition researcher Henkjan Honing, who was not involved in the study. When bounding through the jungle, chimps will often grab hold of the tall buttress roots of rainforest trees. Sometimes they pound them several times to create low-frequency sounds that can be heard for a kilometer or more through the forest. Scientists believe that the drumming is a form of long-distance communication, perhaps to alert other chimps where one chimp is waiting or the direction it is traveling. 'It's a way of socially checking in,' said Hobaiter, adding that each chimp has its own 'individual signature — a pattern of beats that allows you to recognize who's producing that drumming.' The new work showed that chimps from different regions of Africa drum with distinctly different rhythms, with western chimps preferring a more even beat while eastern chimps used varied short and long intervals between beats. The research was published Friday in the journal Current Biology. It's well-known that chimps use tools such as rocks to crack open nuts and sticks to 'fish' termites from their mounds. Tree roots can also be tools, the researchers say. Chimps are selective about which roots they pound, said co-author Catherine Crockford, a primatologist at the CNRS Institute for Cognitive Sciences in France. Certain shapes and wood varieties create sounds that travel well through dense jungle. The drummings are likely "a very important way to make contact," she said. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Washington Post
09-05-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
Chimpanzees drum with regular rhythm when they beat on tree trunks, a form of ancient communication
Chimpanzees drum with regular rhythm when they beat on tree trunks, a new study shows. Chimpanzees and humans last shared a common ancestor around 6 million years ago. Scientists suspect this ancient ancestor must have been a drummer — using beats to communicate. 'Our ability to produce rhythm — and to use it in our social worlds — that seems to be something that predates humans being human,' said study co-author Cat Hobaiter, a University of St Andrews primatologist.
