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Behavioral biologists from Wageningen University & Research and the German Primate Research Center found that West African wild chimpanzees utilize stones to make sound, likely for communication.
The research team recorded five places in a Guinea-Bissau wildlife reserve over five years. Camera recordings and local field guides made this possible. In certain places, adult male chimpanzees frequently hit stones against tree trunks, creating stacks of stones at the foot of the trees.
The researchers call this “stone-assisted drumming.” Chimpanzees drum with hands or feet on hollow buttress roots to communicate or show authority.
However, before throwing stones, the mammals have a higher tendency to make loud pant-hoots followed by calmness, unlike traditional drumming.
Researchers suspect another motivation for this kind of behavior. Loud, low-frequency noises may be supposed to transmit farther than within-group communication. The sounds of a stone hitting a tree allow that in dense forests.
The findings suggest cultural transmission. Younger chimpanzees imitate the older group members’ behavior, suggesting it’s taught socially.
The discovery has broader relevance, say the researchers. It shows that cultural behaviors are not exclusive to humans and should be included in nature preservation.
Sources:
Sem van Loon, et al. (2025). Stone-assisted drumming in Western chimpanzees and its implications for communication and cultural transmission, Biology Letters. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0053
Five-year study suggests chimpanzees strike stones against trees as form of communication. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-year-chimpanzees-stones-trees-communication.html
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