Do the following traits/ behaviors best characterize humans, chimps, or both?

Use body language to communicate
[ Select ]
Humans
Chimps
Both

Question

Do the following traits/ behaviors best characterize humans, chimps, or both?

Use body language to communicate 
[ Select ]
Humans
Chimps
Both

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks which group best matches the trait: using body language to communicate. 
Option 1: Humans. Humans certainly rely heavily on body language in daily interactions, including gestures, facial expressions, posture, and nonverbal cues that accompany speech. However, labeling it as exclusively human would ignore chimp communication, which also uses body language extensively in social interactions, greeting, aggression, grooming, and coordination. 
Option 2: Chimps. Chimps use a rich repertoire of facial expressions, postures, vocalizations, and gestures to convey intent and social information. Yet, if we consider humans as equally capable of nonverbal communication, this option alone would be incomplete because it leaves out human use of body language. 
Option 3: Both. This option aligns with current understanding that both species communicate through body language, though the complexity and nuance may differ. Both humans and chimpanzees rely on facial expressions, postures, and gestures to convey information, coordinate activities, and regulate social interactions. 
In comparing the options, it becomes clear that attributing body-language communication exclusively to humans or exclusively to chimpanzees would overlook the shared nonverbal communication abilities observed in both species. Humans certainly use body language, but chimps do as well, making the combined characterization the most accurate. 
If you consider examples from primatology, chimpanzees’ affectionate grooming, submission signals, and threat displays are all communicated through body language, while humans expand this system with a vast and culturally nuanced set of nonverbal cues. This demonstrates why the “Both” option is the best choice among the three. 
Note that in contexts where one restricts interpretation to cognitive complexity or linguistic richness, some may emphasize differences; however, for the specific trait of communicating via body language, both species exhibit this behavior, making the joint characterization valid.

ANTH 1050-090 Fall 2025 Exam 2

Do the following traits/ behaviors best characterize humans, chimps, or both? Use body language to communicate [ Select ] Humans Chimps Both

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