Overview

• A study published in *Science* confirms that bonobos use compositionality in their vocalizations, a feature previously thought unique to human language.
• Researchers identified 19 call combinations from 700 vocalizations, with some exhibiting nontrivial meanings beyond the sum of their parts.
• The findings suggest that the cognitive foundations for language existed in the common ancestor of humans and bonobos over 7 million years ago.
• This is the first study to determine the meaning of calls across an animal's entire vocal repertoire, creating a 'bonobo dictionary.'
• Bonobos use vocal combinations for social coordination, such as resolving tension during mating or encouraging group cohesion.