Humans able to understand other apes better than thought, research suggests

Bonobo apes grooming. Apes are known to use gestures to communicate goals such as ‘groom me’, ‘give me that food’ and ‘let’s have sex’. Photograph: Finbarr O’Reilly/Reuters

We may not be able to strike up a conversation, debate politics or chat about the meaning of life with other great apes, but our ability to understand one another might be greater than once thought.

Researchers have discovered adult humans can discern the meaning of gestures produced by bonobos and chimpanzees, despite not necessarily using such gestures themselves.