Much like how we humans have an ever-changing slang that we use within our respective social groups, orangutans also seem to have something similar. Researchers have discovered that these primates create new "kiss-squeak" calls that vary in pitch and duration, and these calls spread quickly through their communities. How long these variations remain in the vocabulary, meanwhile, depends on the density of the orangutan community. A low-density community may have a fewer frequency of new calls, but they tend to stick for a long time. It's the opposite in a dense one, however. The research findings could shed light on where language originates and how it evolves.
One of the authors, Dr. Adriano Lameira, explains that since communication is "a cacophony" in high-density communities, individuals want to show off how cool they are with novel calls. But while variations are more frequent in this type of community, they do not stick around for long.
While the research focuses on these "kiss-squeak calls," the researchers believe social influence in orangutan communities may not be limited to alarm calls.
(Image Credit: Eleifert/ Wikimedia Commons)
#Communication #Language #Primates #Orangutan #AnimalCommunication
