0 a small, intelligent African ape with black or brown fur, similar to a chimpanzee
Particularly exciting are the new perspectives on early hominid language which have arisen from recent research on the linguistic competence of chimpanzee and bonobo.
Let us continue with bonobos as an example.
In bonobos, peep sequences are among the most important vocalizations, and croaks, muffled barks, and panting laughs are used mainly by young individuals.
First, the comparative literature provides evidence that marine mammals possess abilities of a complexity comparable to that reported for chimpanzees and bonobos.
However, this question might possibly be resolved using chimpanzees or bonobos.
So, we should be suspicious of similar offhand dismissals of the behavior of animals that are as closely related to us as chimpanzees and bonobos.
The hominids split from the line leading to modern chimpanzees and bonobos around six million years ago, and the main characteristic distinguishing them was a bipedal posture.
Wamba bonobos make a variety of motions in which they rock the upper body and head back and forth or side to side.
