Rhythm during sex in bonobos provides new insights into the evolution of communication

An international research team, including VUB data scientist Yannick Jadoul, has shed new light on the rhythmic nature of sexual behavior in bonobos. By precisely analyzing the tempo of movements during sex, researchers aim to better understand which building blocks of rhythm and communication are present in other species—and what this implies for the evolution of uniquely human traits such as speech and music. The study is published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.