Dance displays in gibbons: biological and linguistic perspectives on structured, intentional, and rhythmic body movement

Female crested gibbons (*genus Nomascus*) perform conspicuous sequences of twitching movements involving the rump and extremities. This study analyzes video recordings of captive crested gibbons to describe these "dances" across four species (*N. annamensis, N. gabriellae, N. leucogenys, N. siki*). A survey of professionals clarifies the behavioral contexts of these dances. Results show dances are intentional visual communication, primarily proceptive signals for copulation, occurring in various contexts related to arousal and/or frustration in captivity. A linguistically informed analysis reveals movement organization in groups and an isochronous rhythm—patterns not previously described in other non-human primates. The study argues that applying the concept of dance expands understanding of primate communication and allows for hypotheses on governing rules and regularities. Gibbon dances are proposed to have evolved from simpler rhythmic proceptive signals, and while sharing key characteristics with human dance, they are not considered homologous. Crested gibbon dances offer a valuable model for investigating complex gestural signals in hominoids.

Camille Coye, Kai R. Caspar, Pritty Patel-Grosz