Eye-catcher
The song of the apes
Researchers at the University of Neuchâtel are investigating the evolution of language.
The sounds of white-handed gibbons | Graphic: J. Andrieu et al.
White-handed gibbons have a repertoire of sounds such as ‘oo’, ‘wa’, ‘wa-oo’ and a sharp ‘wow’ (see image, clockwise from top left). They combine these to make songs whose meaning is understood by the other members of their species. If a song warning of feline predators is recorded and played back to a different group, the apes become quiet and go on the lookout. Klaus Zuberbühler and his team at the University of Neuchâtel are using these ‘songs’ to investigate the evolution of language.
