Great ape - Australia News Beep | NewsBeep.com

Variation in laughter tempo across five great ape species (orangutans, gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees, and humans): each dot represents an individual observation; color indicates phylogenetic distance (in million years ago); each square contains an image of the corresponding species, with a matching dot color for intuitive reference. Image credit: De Gregorio et al., 10.1038/s42003-026-10499-z.

Read More

New Research Traces Origins of Human Laughter

June 29, 2026

The way humans laugh — in rapid, rhythmically timed bursts — is not uniquely ours. New research by…

Researchers tickle gorillas, other apes and find out they giggle

Read More

Researchers tickle gorillas, other apes and find out they giggle

June 27, 2026

NEW YORK — Humans and great apes have been giggling in similar ways since branching off the evolutionary tree, a…

Ayumu the chimpanzee spontaneously produced long, multicomponent instrumental displays by drumming, dragging, and throwing self-detached objects. Transition and rhythm analyses revealed non-random sequencing partially resembling pant-hoot structure, predominantly isochronous timing, and a more stable tempo when using tools than with the body. Accompanying play-face and silent bared teeth expressions suggest high arousal and positive affect, supporting the idea that affective vocal expression can be externalized through instrumental sound. Image credit: Hattori et al., doi: 10.1111/nyas.70239.

Read More

Chimpanzee’s Drum Solo Offers Clues to Origins of Music

April 1, 2026

Researchers who analyzed dozens of spontaneous performances by a captive male chimpanzee named Ayumu say the animal’s steady…