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| Expressions |
| Chimpanzee communication relies a great deal on facial expressions. Nonhuman primate communication
originates in the limbic system, an area of the brain that regulates hormones, heart, and respiration activity. Damage to this
area of the brain will result in deficits in the production of facial expressions, such as fear grins, which are linked to emotional
states. Chimpanzees have certain facial expressions that represent aggression, begging or being frustrated, excitement, playfulness,
and submission. |
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| Jane's observation: | William, with his long scarred upper lip and his drooping lower lip, was one of the more subordinate males
in his relationships with other chimpanzees. If another adult male showed signs of aggression toward him, William was quick to approach
with gestures of appeasement and submission, reaching out to lay his hand on the other, crouching with soft panting grunts in front of
the higher-ranking individual. During such an encounter he would often pull back the corners of his lips and expose his teeth in a
nervous grin. Initially William was timid in camp, also. When I offered him a banana in my hand for the first time, he stared at it
for several moments, gently shook a branch in his frustration, and then sat uttering soft whimpering sounds until I relented and put
the fruit on the ground.
Source: In The Shadow of Man, p. 68. |
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