The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #92720 Message #1775442
Posted By: *daylia*
04-Jul-06 - 07:18 AM
Thread Name: Chimps are not music fans.
Subject: RE: Chimps are not music fans.
...chimpanzees can locate another group by listening for their vocalizations. Vocalizations serve to keep potentially warring bands from stumbling into each other.
The one thing that brings groups of chimpanzees together is crossbreeding. Male chimpanzees vocalize to attract females. It may be hard for the vocalization of one chimpanzee to be loud enough to catch the attention of a female from another group, but if several males "sing" in chorus, they have better odds of being heard and attracting females.
There is an evolutionary advantage and pressure for males to sing together. The musical ability and behavior of Homo Sapiens originally evolved as an advantageous reproductive strategy in the ancestors of humans and chimpanzees. Human females are attracted to and choose human male mates that make music. Those males who are musical have a greater chance of reproducing.