Chimpanzees' Use Of Hand Gestures To 'Coordinate' Activities An 'Important Building Block' In Evolution Of Language

Scientists have found that chimpanzees, our closest living relatives with whom we share 98 percent of our genes, are able to use hand gestures to achieve shared goals. Humans working with chimps raised in captivity in the U.S. designed experiments in which the primates directed their human handlers toward hidden food using hand motions. Scientists believe the study could provide clues about the basics of language development.