Chimps use loud calls and gestures to make their feelings known but until now, the exact meaning for individual movements has remained a mystery. Now researchers believe they have translated the key gestures used in the chimp community and identified their intentions for the first time.
From 4,351 gestures, experts were able to identify 66 that are used for 19 specific message meanings, including showing a foot to tell a child they can climb on their back. The researchers were able to narrow down these 66 gestures to 36 that are used intentionally to achieve 15 purposes. The translations were made by Dr Catherine Hobaiter and her colleagues at St Andrews University in Scotland.
Dr Hobaiter used behavior sampling and filmed all recorded cases of gestural communication. Other gestures include stomping their feet to ask another chimp to stop what they are doing, and slapping objects together to ask another to follow them. Of the 19 meanings,17 encouraged interactions to start, or to develop, such as “move closer,” and “change play”. Some of the gestures were found to have more than one meaning. and only 10 of the 66 gestures were used for only a single meaning.
Researchers collected a total of 471 video clips from two social groups of chimps at a shelter near Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. As well as identifying what the gesture means, they also discovered the technique needed to increase the chances of success.
“Human children use gestures to communicate before they produce their first words, and their earliest gestures typically appear around 10 months of age,” explained the researchers. “In great apes, there is good evidence that language-trained individuals are capable of acquiring and understanding signals, but this is far less clear in their natural communication. ”
12. Chimps slap the objects to____________.
A.tell others to stop what they are doing | B.ask others chimps to join them |
C.gather other chimps to move closer | D.encourage interactions to start |
13. What did researchers find after studying 471 video clips?
A.Chimps trained in language are good at understanding signals. |
B.Two social groups of chimps live at a shelter near Kinshasa. |
C.Language-trained individuals do well in natural communication. |
D.Chimps’earliest gestures appear around 10 months of age. |
14. How is the last paragraph developed?
A.By analyzing causes. | B.By examining differences. |
C.By making comparisons. | D.By following time order. |
15. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.A New Research on Chimps | B.Human Children and Chimps |
C.Getting the Chimps Trained for Language | D.Translating the Sign Language of Chimps |