Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Referential communication by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

David A Leavens1, William D Hopkins, Roger K Thomas

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Atlanta, GA, USA. davidl@sussex.ac.uk

Journal of Comparative Psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)
|March 11, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Chimpanzee gestures serve a referential function, aiding in food acquisition. This nonverbal communication ability may predate human speech evolution.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A Comparative Study of Aging and Cortical Folding in Chimpanzees and Olive Baboons.

American journal of primatology·2026
Same author

Response to commentators on "Let's go WILD: Increasing inclusivity in theories of developmental psychology".

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2026
Same author

Evolution of the frontal aslant tract and implications for primate vocalization and human speech.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Comparative analysis of the cellular landscape in mammalian striatum.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Homologous specialization of arcuate fasciculus ventrolateral frontal connectivity in marmosets and humans.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Morphological and anatomical variations in subcortical anatomy between humans and chimpanzees associated with heritability patterns related to human behavioral traits.

Communications biology·2026

Area of Science:

  • Primatology
  • Cognitive Ethology
  • Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

  • Understanding the origins of symbolic communication is crucial for evolutionary psychology.
  • Chimpanzee gestures offer insights into the development of referential abilities.
  • Nonverbal communication in primates provides a window into pre-linguistic capacities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the referential function of chimpanzee gestures in obtaining food.
  • To determine if chimpanzees use gestures and visual orienting socially and referentially.
  • To explore the evolutionary timeline of nonverbal reference.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted with chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to assess gesture function.
  • Experiment 1 involved placing or hiding food (banana) relative to buckets.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Experiment 2 used four conditions varying food and observer presence.

    • Main Results:

    • Chimpanzee gestures and visual orienting were employed both socially and referentially.
    • Evidence suggests that nonverbal reference is utilized for goal-directed actions, such as acquiring food.
    • The study observed referential communication in chimpanzees under various conditions.

    Conclusions:

    • The capacity for nonverbal reference in chimpanzees suggests it may predate the split between Hominidae and Pongidae.
    • The development of nonverbal reference appears to be independent of human speech adaptations.
    • These findings contribute to understanding the evolutionary roots of communication and cognition.