Chimps Got the Rhythm

A new study revealed chimpanzees drum with rhythm when they bang on tree trunks and share similarities with humans in their ability to hold a beat. The discovery, in one of the closest relatives to modern humans, sheds light on the evolutionary building blocks of music.

The behavior is believed to be a form of long-distance communication (read study) and suggests the chimps employ different sequences depending on the social situation. Researchers who analyzed 11 communities of chimps across six populations and two subspecies found groups from separate regions of Africa produced different rhythms for the same context, suggesting the mammals independently developed their own methods of communication.

The study also hints at a longstanding anthropological question—despite being a common human experience, how and why humans produce music remains unclear. 

The study comes on the heels of a separate observation of an individual Californian seal—named Ronan—that can keep time via rhythmic beats.