Charlie Cooper Blog 1 - Dancing gibbons

 Charlie Cooper

2/10/25

Gibbons: Dance to Advance


Already, Gibbons are known for their morning singing frenzies and crazy tree swinging uproars. Now, a 2024 study from Camille Coye and others highlights a new form of communication that has been observed in gibbons. Although primarily observed in captivity, gibbons perform a "robot" like dance move that provides some intel into their communication methods. The dance has been exclusively observed in sexually mature female gibbons, indicating it's role in sexual selection (hence the title
"Dance to Advance"). 

While it is easy to feel quite distant from the world of gibbons, they are not so different from ourselves. The gibbons performing this dance are noted to be directing it at another individual, sometimes even at humans. They often check to see if anybody is watching their performance, indicating the true intention of their actions. While this seems so incredibly human-like, the study emphasizes that human dancing and gibbon dancing evolved independently from one another. For such a communicative species, it is no surprise that gibbons also indulge in dancing. 

It is vital that we do our part to protect these gibbons, as their natural habitats are being encroached on by human development in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. I am a firm believer in bringing the beauty and intelligence of these primates to the public eye, as I think building a public image of Gibbons as smart, funny, and dance-crazy can have lasting impacts on conservation and human interest in their survival. 



Finding methods of promoting findings such as this one is so incredibly powerful in conservation. We have seen this occur with octopus, dolphins, elephants and whales - when animals are scientifically proven to have such emotional and human-like connections, people tend to care more about their survival. With more publicity on topics such as the dancing gibbons, we can work more effectively with local people in conservation while being able to economically support these areas at the same time. 

https://news.mongabay.com/2024/11/gibbons-found-to-perform-dance-routines-akin-to-the-robot-but-why/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10329-024-01154-4

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