Wild chimps have been filmed playing drums – and scientists are stunned | BBC Science Focus Magazine

Move over, Ringo Starr. Wild chimpanzees in Africa have been observed beating out rhythms on trees using their hands and feet.

They drum on the large roots (‘buttresses’) that spread out from a tree's base, creating deep, resonant thunks that can carry over a kilometre (0.6 miles) through the forest.

This drumming is a form of long-distance communication. A 2022 study revealed that chimpanzees in Uganda have individual drumming styles, and they use it to let others in their group know where they are.

A recent follow-up study analysing over 370 drumming patterns across six chimp populations showed that their drumming also varies by location.

Chimps in West Africa tend to drum with evenly spaced hits – like a kick in a techno track – while those in East Africa alternate shorter and longer intervals between hits.