Chimpanzee groups drum with distinct rhythms, research finds

East coast vs west coast beats, but this time it’s African chimps

Chimpanzees don’t just drum with distinct rhythms but have their own signature styles, a new study of apes in East and West Africa finds.

Chimpanzee Beats Reveal Rhythmic Roots of Human Communication, New Study Finds

The findings now raise the possibility that the human capacity for rhythm—and by extension, music and language—may be deeply rooted in our evolutionary past.

Chimpanzees drum with regular rhythm to communicate with other chimps

Chimpanzees drum with regular rhythm and use this as a form of communication between them, a new study shows.

Study: Chimps drum with regular rhythm

Chimpanzees drum with regular rhythm when they beat on tree trunks, a new study shows.

Chimps' rhythmic drumming and complex calls hint at origins of human language

Two studies of wild chimps point to the evolutionary roots of human language. The studies found that chimp communication often relies on rhythmic structures and call combinations.

Chimpanzees from different areas drum on trees with regular, regional rhythms, research finds

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.