Mother Chimp and Daughter Share a Special Sign

Dr. Bas van Boekholt, a primatologist, observed a unique gesture between a chimpanzee named Beryl and her daughter Lindsay in Uganda’s Kibale National Park — Lindsay placing her hand over Beryl’s eye as a signal to travel. The gesture, not previously documented, gradually took on meaning as Lindsay grew older, possibly emerging from casual interactions between the two. This idiosyncratic gesture challenges debates on chimpanzee communication, suggesting a flexible, language-like system where individuals create new signals through social learning and interaction.

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