Like people, chimpanzees communicate in a lot of ways. They can communicate a message in the way they hold their bodies or reach out to each other. They can communicate in the faces they make, and in how they touch each other. And, they can communicate through the sounds and calls they make. Jane’s study of chimpanzees at Gombe National Park helped scientists understand much more about chimpanzee calls. There are intraparty calls, or calls among chimps that are in a group together, and distance calls, which are made between groups that are separated, sometimes over a great distance.

Below are some calls that chimpanzees make and the emotions that go with them (requires the Quicktime Player).

Did you know?

Each individual chimp has his or her own distinct pant-hoot. This means that other chimpanzees can tell who is making the call even if they can't see him or her. Click here to listen to more chimpanzee calls!

Try this

Do you have a dog or cat at home? See if you can notice the different barks or meows your pet makes. Does your dog bark one way when he or she wants to go outside and another way when the doorbell rings? Does your cat make one "meow" to ask for petting and another when you're filling the cat dish?

Further Research

To learn more about chimpanzee communication, click here.

Check out the "Discovering Chimpanzees" site, which includes an interactive video section. Choose the behavior like "laughing," then watch a matching video clip from Gombe National Park! Click here.