A study has shown that chimpanzees possess rhythmic drumming abilities, which may provide insights into the evolutionary origins of music. Researchers observed 371 drumming bouts from 47 chimpanzees across six populations, discovering that their drumming exhibited non-random timing and clear differences in rhythm between subspecies. Western chimpanzees displayed evenly spaced beats, while eastern chimpanzees had a swing-like rhythm. These findings suggest the foundation of rhythm, essential for human social behavior and music, may trace back to our common ancestor with chimpanzees, according to Prof Catherine Hobaiter from the University of St Andrews.
The study reveals that chimpanzees drum with non-random timing and varying rhythms, suggesting that the building blocks of rhythm were present in our last common ancestor.
Researchers found that western chimpanzees drummed with evenly spaced intervals while eastern chimpanzees showed a swing-like beat, highlighting subspecies differences.
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