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Chimpanzee lip-smacks confirm primate continuity for speech-rhythm evolution
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Pereira, André S., Kavanagh, Eithne, Hobaiter, Catherine, Slocombe, Katie E. and Lameira, Adriano R. (2020) Chimpanzee lip-smacks confirm primate continuity for speech-rhythm evolution. Biology Letters, 16 (5). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2020.0232
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0232
Abstract
Speech is a human hallmark, but its evolutionary origins continue to defy scientific explanation. Recently, the open-close mouth rhythm of 2-7 Hz (cycles/second) characteristic of all spoken languages has been identified in the orofacial signals of several nonhuman primate genera, including orangutans, but evidence from any of the African apes remained missing. Evolutionary continuity for the emergence of speech is, thus, still inconclusive. To address this empirical gap, we investigated the rhythm of chimpanzee lip-smacks across four populations (two captive and two wild). We found that lip-smacks exhibit a speech-like rhythm at approximately 4 Hz, closing a gap in the evidence for the evolution of speech-rhythm within the primate order. We observed sizeable rhythmic variation within and between chimpanzee populations, with differences of over 2 Hz at each level. This variation did not result, however, in systematic group differences within our sample. To further explore the phylogenetic and evolutionary perspective on this variability, inter-individual and inter-population analyses will be necessary across primate species producing mouth signals at speech-like rhythm. Our findings support the hypothesis that speech recruited ancient primate rhythmic signals and suggest that multi-site studies may still reveal new windows of understanding about these signals' use and production along the evolutionary timeline of speech.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||
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| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GN Anthropology Q Science > Q Science (General) Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology Q Science > QL Zoology |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Science > Psychology | ||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Chimpanzees , Chimpanzees -- Physiology, Chimpanzees -- Psychology, Animal intelligence, Language and languages -- Origin, Cognition in animals, Human evolution, Chimpanzees -- Behavior—Evolution | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Biology Letters | ||||||
| Publisher: | Royal Society | ||||||
| ISSN: | 1744-9561 | ||||||
| Official Date: | 27 May 2020 | ||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 16 | ||||||
| Number: | 5 | ||||||
| DOI: | 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0232 | ||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Open Access | ||||||
| RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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