<<< Hi! I’m BonoboBOT 1.0. On this page, I’ll be hanging out down the side demonstrating each gesture type. There are also links for each gesture type for both chimpanzees and bonobos. Some are ready now, more on the way!
But before we get started what is a gesture? How do we know that this movement was meant to communicate something, whereas another one wasn’t? It’s hard enough to understand communication in our own species – in another species it can be really tough! So we have a set of rules to help us define something as a gesture. We include movements of the body, limbs, and head that 1. do not achieve a goal through force (dragging someone behind you is not a gesture, giving a gentle pull and then releasing and waiting to see whether they follow you might be), and 2. show signs of being directed to a recipient. Those signs include the signaller checking whether the recipient is paying attention to them, waiting for a response, and – where they weren’t satisfied with the response – persisting or even elaborating by using new gestures. In the video below you can see the chimpanzee on the right giving Big Loud Scratch and Object shake gestures. He waits for a response, but when he doesn’t get one he gestures again – this time elaborating by adding an Arm raise gesture.
Got it? Great! Take a look at the different gestures in our gesture ‘dictionary’ below.
Arm raise
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Arm shake
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Arm wave
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 1]
Arm wave with object
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Beckon
Chimpanzee:[Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Big Loud Scratch
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bipedal rocking
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bipedal stance
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bite
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bow
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Clap
Chimpanzee: COMING SOONBonobo
Cover
Chimpanzee: COMING SOONBonobo
Dangle
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Orang-utan: [Example 1]
Dangle with leg shake
Chimpanzee: COMING SOONBonobo
Embrace
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Foot shake
Chimpanzee: COMING SOONBonobo
Fling: Hand fling
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Grab
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Grab hold
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Grab-pull
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Grab-pull 2-handed
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example]
Hand on
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Head butt
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Head shake
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Head stand
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Hit object with object
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Hit object/ground
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example]
Hit object/ground 2-handed
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]Bonobo
Hit other
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Hit other 2-handed
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Hit with object
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Hitting object/ground
Chimpanzee: [Example]Bonobo
Hitting object/ground 2-handed
Chimpanzee: [Example]Bonobo
Hitting other
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Hitting other 2-handed
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Hitting with object
Chimpanzee: COMING SOONBonobo
Jump
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Knock object
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Knocking object
Chimpanzee: [Example]Bonobo
Leaf clipping
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]Bonobo
Leaf clipping: Leaf drop
Chimpanzee
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Locomote: Gallop
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Locomote: Stiff walk
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example]
Object in mouth
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]Bonobo
Object move
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Object on head
Chimpanzee: [Example]Bonobo
Object shake
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Orang-utan: [Example 1]
Poke
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Poking
Chimpanzee: COMING SOONBonobo
Pounce
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Present: Present (climb on)
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Present: Foot Present
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Present (directed): Present (grooming)
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Present genitals backward
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Present genitals forward
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Push
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Push (directed)
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Reach – palm
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Reach – wrist
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Rocking
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Roll over
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Rump rub
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example]
Shake hands
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example]
Spin: Pirouette
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example]
Spin: Side roulade
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example]
Spin: Somersault
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Stomp
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Stomp 2-feet
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Stomp 2-feet-other
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Stomp other
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Stomping
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example]
Stomping 2-feet
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Stomping 2-feet other
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Stomping other
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Stroke
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Stroke: Mouth stroke
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Swing: Arm swing
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Orang-utan: [Example 1]
Swing: Leg Swing
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Swing (with object): Arm swing (with object)
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Tandem walk
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Tap object
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Tap other
Chimpanzee: COMING SOON
Bonobo: [Example]
Tapping object
Chimpanzee: COMING SOONBonobo
Tapping other
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]Bonobo
Throw object
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Orang-utan: [Example 1]
Thrust
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Touch
Chimpanzee: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Bonobo: [Example 1] [Example 2]
Water splash
Chimpanzee: [Example]
Bonobo: [Example]
* Strikethrough normally shows that a certain gesture was not observed in this species, but these gestures are absent either because they were not specifically coded or there was not a good enough video example
Video credits: Chimpanzee footage recorded by Catherine Hobaiter and Gal Badihi. Bonobo footage recorded by Kirsty Graham. Orang-utan footage recorded by Joey Marx. Description of gesture types can be found here and here.