Bonobos may combine words in ways previously thought unique to humans

Phrases used to smooth over tense social situations have meanings beyond the sum of their parts, study suggests

Bonobos use a combination of calls to encourage peace with their partner during mating rituals, research suggests.

The discovery is part of a study that suggests our close evolutionary cousins can string together vocalisations to produce phrases with meanings that go beyond the sum of their parts – something often considered unique to human language.

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