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Chimpanzee lip-smacks confirm primate continuity for speech-rhythm evolution.

André S Pereira1,2, Eithne Kavanagh3, Catherine Hobaiter1

  • 1School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, KY16 9JP, UK.

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Summary

Chimpanzee lip-smacks exhibit a speech-like rhythm, providing crucial evidence for the evolutionary origins of human speech. This finding bridges a gap in understanding primate communication and the evolution of vocalizations.

Keywords:
chimpanzeesgreat apeslip-smacksspeech evolutionspeech-like rhythm

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Area of Science:

  • Primate communication
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Bioacoustics

Background:

  • The evolutionary origins of human speech remain largely unexplained.
  • A characteristic 2-7 Hz open-close mouth rhythm in spoken languages has been observed in some non-human primates.
  • Evidence from African apes was missing, leaving the evolutionary continuity of speech rhythm inconclusive.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the lip-smack rhythm in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) to address the empirical gap in African ape communication.
  • To determine if chimpanzee lip-smacking exhibits a speech-like rhythm.
  • To contribute to understanding the evolutionary timeline of speech.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of lip-smack rhythms in four chimpanzee populations (two captive, two wild).
  • Measurement of the frequency (Hz) of lip-smack cycles.
  • Comparative analysis of rhythmic variation within and between populations.

Main Results:

  • Chimpanzee lip-smacks demonstrate a speech-like rhythm of approximately 4 Hz.
  • Significant rhythmic variation was observed within and between chimpanzee populations (over 2 Hz differences).
  • No systematic group differences in rhythm were found within the studied sample.

Conclusions:

  • Chimpanzee lip-smack rhythm supports the hypothesis that speech evolved from ancient primate rhythmic signals.
  • The findings close an evidence gap regarding the evolution of speech rhythm in African apes.
  • Further phylogenetic and evolutionary studies across primate species are needed to fully understand the use and production of these signals.