Danger! Bahaya! Orangutans make a “kiss-squeak” noise when they feel anxious or afraid – usually when they see a predator. The noise tells predators that they have been seen and warns other orangutans of the danger.
It was previously thought that the orangutan’s ‘kiss-squeak’ alarm was hardwired and instinctive. But in 2018, researchers made a fascinating discovery. They found that orangutans can make this ‘danger’ call long after predators have passed.
This was the first evidence that primates other than humans can “talk” about the past – a “cognitive building block” of language. In 2022, researchers found even more complexity within the ‘kiss-squeak’ noise.
The call can change in duration and pitch, and the rate of change is influenced by how dense the orangutan community is. In larger communities, new variations come up more rapidly – as the orangutans try to stand out in the cacophony of different calls.
These fascinating studies demonstrate how orangutans can provide us with insight into the evolution of language itself!
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