Scientists have discovered how humans first discovered music

Scientists from Kyoto University have established that chimpanzees are capable of creating rhythmic music by combining strikes on objects with vocal expressions, providing a key to understanding the evolution of musicality in humans. The results of the study have been published in the journal Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (ANYAS).

At the center of the study was a 26-year-old male chimpanzee named Ayumu. Scientists noticed that he was not simply hitting sticks or other objects, as had previously been observed in primates, but was creating genuine "musical compositions," accompanying them with vocal sounds.

From February 2023 to March 2025, Ayumu demonstrated approximately 90 such spontaneous "performances," systematically removing floorboards from a walkway and using them to produce various sounds.

The researchers noted that the sequence of Ayumu's strikes and the intervals between them were not random — the rhythm remained stable, almost like a metronome. This led to the conclusion that the emotional expressions the primate produced vocally were gradually extrapolated into instrumental sounds.

Scientists analyzed Ayumu's behavior in detail, dividing it into striking, dragging, and throwing objects. Particular attention was paid to transitions between these actions: which of them were random and which were deliberate. Additionally, observation of the chimpanzee's facial expressions during play revealed positive emotions, indicating the emotional nature of his "performances."

Previously, archaeologists faced difficulty in reconstructing the musical practices of ancient humans, since percussion instruments of that era were made from perishable materials — wood and animal hides. Now, the behavior of chimpanzees allows a glimpse into the possible origins of musicality: music may have emerged as a means of expressing emotions through the combination of vocals and instruments.

According to the researchers, this discovery underscores the evolutionary continuity between the acoustic expressions of primates and the human ability to create music. It confirms that musical thinking and emotional expressiveness are not exclusively human traits but rather the result of a long evolutionary lineage.