Gibbons Sing Human-Like Duets to Form Social Bonds

Scientists have discovered that lar gibbons sing rhythmic duets in time with each other to establish social bonds. These melodious call-and-response songs are akin to human music. They further found that this is particularly present between males and females during courtship.

Male and female lar gibbons sing duets with notes that are synchronised and occur at regular intervals. These are rhythmic qualities similar to those found in human songs, which could hint at an evolutionary basis for the origins of music.

Gibbons Sing Duets

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.