Chimpanzees communicate to coordinate a cultural practice

Human culture is considered to differ from animal culture due to its interactive nature built on shared intentionality and cognitive flexibility. Here, we investigated whether chimpanzees use communication to engage in cultural practices by analyzing grooming handclasp (GHC) interactions – a socio-cultural behavior requiring coordination. Previous accounts attributed GHC initiations to behavioral shaping whereby the initiator physically molds the partner’s arm into the GHC posture. Using frame-by-frame analysis and matched-control methodology, we find that chimpanzees use gestural communication to initiate GHC, which requires an active and synchronized response from the partner. This showcases a behavioral expression of joint commitment to engage in this shared cultural practice. Moreover, we show that GHC initiators used various initiation strategies, attesting to situation-contingent interactional flexibility. We conclude that chimpanzees can be jointly committed to a cultural practice, which suggests that culture predicated on shared intentionality and flexible communication may not be unique to the human species.

Publication year:2021

Keywords:Minutes and reports

Accessibility:Closed