Scientists have reported “unprecedented chimpanzee music” at Japan’s Kyoto University, a discovery that sheds more light on the origins of music among early humans.
Ayumu, a 26-year-old male chimpanzee, took the floorboards and used them to play a drum while singing at the same time.
While chimpanzees have previously been seen playing sticks and other objects, this is the first time apes have been seen speaking in rhythm near it, according to a study published in the journal. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Scientists have recorded about 90 of Ayumu’s appearances between February 2023 and March 2025.
The chimp systematically removed the floorboards and used them as instruments to make music.
“It was interesting to me to see how the chimpanzees use tools to produce different sounds, while producing a vocal signal,” said first author Yuko Hattori in a statement.
The observation gives evidence to the theory that music, especially the performance of instruments, came into existence first as a result of expressing ideas outside of emotions through words combined with the use of instruments.
Since ancient musical instruments were made of perishable materials such as wood and animal skins, it was difficult to find them directly through archaeological evidence.
But this view of musical behavior in our primate cousins provides the key to understanding the evolution of music, the researchers say.
A recent study examined the possibility that vocal expression in chimps is converted into musical sounds.
The scientists first analyzed Ayumu’s behavior and divided it into parts such as hitting, pulling and throwing.
They then examined the relationships between these elements, determining which changes were accidental and which were intentional.
The researchers analyzed the intervals between beats and compared the stability of the rhythm of the use of tools to the rhythm of drums made with hands or feet.
They also saw facial expressions of the chimps, such as the playful face, which appears during play, showing positive emotions.
The study revealed that the sequence of sounds produced by the instruments was not random and that the intervals between beats maintained a constant tempo, like a metronome.
It established that emotional expressions conveyed by chimps could be externalized and made into instrumental sounds.
Research suggests that non-human primates may have the ability to express themselves through instruments.
“Our study highlights the evolutionary continuity between primate acoustic displays and human musical abilities,” the scientists wrote in the study.
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