Story perspectives

Study Finds Distinct Laughter Rhythms Across Primates

6/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers recorded laughter from four orangutans, two gorillas, three bonobos, four chimpanzees and four human children at seven institutions in 2004-2006.
They selected 140 bouts with three calls—42 bonobo, 35 chimpanzee, 34 gorilla, 13 human and 16 orangutan—and recorded 458 interval durations and 316 rhythmic ratio values.
The study used linear models to test tempo variation by distance, context and species, and generalized mixed models to assess on- versus off-isochrony.

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Story summary

Researchers recorded laughter from four orangutans, two gorillas, three bonobos, four chimpanzees and four human children at seven institutions in 2004-2006.
They selected 140 bouts with three calls—42 bonobo, 35 chimpanzee, 34 gorilla, 13 human and 16 orangutan—and recorded 458 interval durations and 316 rhythmic ratio values.
The study used linear models to test tempo variation by distance, context and species, and generalized mixed models to assess on- versus off-isochrony.