1 Warwick Business School (Behavioural Science), The University of Warwick , Coventry CV4 7AL , UK.
2 Duke University (Psychology and Neuroscience) , PO Box 90086, Durham, NC 27708 , USA.
Proc Biol Sci. 2019 Apr 24;286(1901):20190408. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0408.
Successful collaboration often relies on individuals' capacity to communicate with each other. Despite extensive research on chimpanzee communication, there is little evidence that chimpanzees are capable, without extensive human training, of regulating collaborative activities via communication. This study investigated whether pairs of chimpanzees were capable of communicating to ensure coordination during collaborative problem-solving. The chimpanzee pairs needed two tools to extract fruits from an apparatus. The communicator in each pair could see the location of the tools (hidden in one of two boxes), whereas only the recipient could open the boxes. The subjects were first successfully tested for their capacity to understand the pointing gestures of a human who indicated the location of the tools. In a subsequent conspecifics test, the communicator increasingly communicated the tools' location, by approaching the baited box and giving the key needed to open it to the recipients. The recipient used these signals and obtained the tools, transferring one of the tools to the communicator so that the pair could collaborate in obtaining the fruits. The study suggests that chimpanzees have the necessary socio-cognitive skills to naturally develop a simple communicative strategy to ensure coordination in a collaborative task.
成功的合作往往依赖于个体之间相互沟通的能力。尽管针对黑猩猩的交流已经进行了广泛的研究，但几乎没有证据表明黑猩猩能够在没有人类大量训练的情况下通过交流来调节合作活动。本研究旨在探讨黑猩猩是否能够通过交流来确保在协作解决问题时的协调。每对黑猩猩都需要两把工具才能从一个装置中取出水果。在每对黑猩猩中，通讯者可以看到工具的位置（隐藏在两个盒子中的一个中），而只有接收者可以打开盒子。首先，这些黑猩猩成功地接受了一项测试，以证明它们能够理解人类指示工具位置的手势。在随后的同类测试中，通讯者通过接近诱饵盒子并将打开盒子所需的关键物品交给接收者，越来越多地传达工具的位置。接收者使用这些信号获得工具，并将其中一把工具交给通讯者，以便两人可以合作获取水果。研究表明，黑猩猩具有必要的社会认知技能，可以自然地发展出一种简单的交流策略，以确保在协作任务中的协调。
