Functional flexibility in wild bonobo vocal behaviour

摘要: A shared principle in the evolution of language and development speech is emergence functional flexibility, capacity vocal signals to express a range emotional states independently context biological function. Functional flexibility has recently been demonstrated vocalisations pre-linguistic human infants, which contrasted functionally fixed behaviour non-human primates. Here, we revisited presumed chasm between primate behaviour, with study on our closest living relatives, bonobo (Pan paniscus). We found that wild bonobos use specific call type (the “peep”) across contexts cover full valence (positive-neutral-negative) much their daily activities, including feeding, travel, rest, aggression, alarm, nesting grooming. Peeps were produced flexible ways some contexts, but not others. Crucially, calls did vary acoustically neutral positive suggesting recipients take pragmatic information into account make inferences about meaning. In comparison, peeps during negative distinct. Our data suggest for evolutionary roots predate speech. interpret this evidence as an example early transition away from signalling towards flexibility.