Multimodal combinatorial communication in Apes with no language: ontogeny and culture – APELANG

Syntax – our capacity to combine meaning-bearing units into larger structures – is argued to be the key feature distinguishing language from other communication systems. Recently, evidence demonstrating rudimentary forms of syntactic structuring in chimpanzees’ vocal communication suggests syntax might be inherited from our last common ancestor with this species. However, the system described remain far more bounded in comparison to language. This limitation might come from the fact that chimpanzee communication system – like language – is not solely based on vocal signalling but rather is intrinsically multimodal. Furthermore, language is inherently a social act, and critical insight into the evolution of our syntax can be gained by understanding the role social transmission plays in the development of chimpanzees’ multimodal combinatorial system. In this project, I aim to bridge this gap by documenting multimodal combinatorial communication in this species, its flexible social use, developmental trajectory and the potential for cultural patterns. Specifically, using a multidisciplinary approach (ethology and linguistics), I will build an objective repertoire for multimodal signalling in chimpanzees and assess which socio-ecological factors influence the production of such structures. Furthermore, using pre-existing data coupled with new observations, I will conduct a longitudinal study of multimodal communication in young individuals and investigate whether social learning plays a role in the ontogeny of multimodal combinatorial structuring in chimpanzees. Finally, I will compare the structures produced across different chimpanzee communities to address the potential for cultural transmission. This project will further our understanding of our closest-living relatives communicative and cognitive skills, which can have major societal implications in terms of conservation, and will ultimately bring crucial insights into the evolution of our own communication system.