Gibbons use more rhythm when singing together with a conspecific | Science

The lar gibbon sings with more rhythm when the monkey sings together with a conspecific. Scientists from the University of Turin, among others, discovered this.

The lar gibbon is a type of small ape. Scientists have long been researching the way these animals talk and sing to each other, because it can help understand the origins of human language.

In this research, the scientists wondered how rhythm originated and what function it has. They made 215 recordings of twelve gibbons in shelters and zoos in Thailand and Italy.

In all of those shots, the gibbons were “singing.” In doing so, they used a specific rhythm, say the researchers. They saw similarities with the rhythm in the music people make.

For example, there is ‘rhythmic interaction’ when two monkeys sang. If one monkey played a certain note, the other monkey responded to it. And where the monkey sings in very different ways on its own, this becomes less variable when the animal sings with another animal.

The way of singing also differed between male and female monkeys. For example, male gibbons sing among themselves in a different way than in a duet with a female.

According to the researchers, it seems that the rhythm has a social function. If the animals in such a duet adopt the same rhythm, it would strengthen their mutual bond.

The researchers do note that physical reasons may also play a role. Singing such a song takes a lot of energy. They saw that monkeys on their own sang longer and more varied on average. In a duet it could be more convenient to take over each other’s rhythm in order to get less tired.

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