Wild chimpanzees across Africa are drumming on tree roots with structured, region-specific rhythms, suggesting a sophisticated form of long-distance communication and offering new insights into the evolutionary roots of human musicality.
A comprehensive study published in *Current Biology* analysed 371 drumming sequences from 47 chimpanzees across 11 communities in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. The research revealed that chimpanzees produce rhythmic patterns that are not random but exhibit consistent timing and tempo, varying distinctly between eastern and western populations.
Western chimpanzees, inhabiting regions like Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, tend to produce evenly spaced beats reminiscent of a steady metronome. In contrast, their eastern counterparts in Uganda and Tanzania favour more syncopated rhythms with alternating intervals, akin to a swing or jazz beat. These differences are not attributed to environmental factors but are believed to reflect cultural variations within chimpanzee communities.
Each chimpanzee also exhibits a unique drumming signature, allowing others to identify the individual behind the rhythm. Researchers suggest that this drumming serves multiple purposes: signaling location, coordinating movement, and reinforcing social bonds within groups. The low-frequency sounds produced by drumming on large tree buttresses can travel over a kilometre through dense forest, making it an effective means of communication.
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