(Image Via Current Biology)
Chimpanzees are extremely intelligent animals, there’s no doubt about that, but a new study published in Current Biology reveals the extent of their intelligence in the area of communication.
It seems chimps have developed a rather elaborate intentional communication system that consists of nineteen different messages, ranging from Let’s Groom! to Flirt with me…, which are relayed using 66 different gestures.
This thought provoking research study was led by Dr. Catherine Hobaiter, who claims this is "the only example of an intentional communication system (in which one individual sends a message to another individual) amongst animals”, although the jury is still out on whether or not lemurs have their own unique system of intentional communication:
(Image Via Ztona)
-Via Laughing Squid
With 66 gestures and only 19 messages, it is more of a proto-language. Since the methodology is as good as it gets, I accept the results rather than the conclusion. It would be very interesting to follow the communication over time to see if it gets more efficient.