Scientists have documented a never-seen-before “musical performance” by a chimpanzee at Japan’s Kyoto University, a discovery that sheds more light on the origin of music among the first humans.
Ayumu, a 26-year-old male chimpanzee, took floorboards from a walkway and used them to drum while vocalising at the same time.
While chimpanzees have been previously observed drumming with sticks and other objects, this is the first time the primate has been seen exhibiting rhythmic vocal expressions alongside it, according to a study published in the journal Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.
Scientists documented nearly 90 of Ayumu’s spontaneous performances between February 2023 and March 2025.
The chimp systematically removed floorboards from the walkway and used them as tools to make music.
“It was fascinating for me to see how the chimpanzee used tools to produce various sounds, while also expressing a vocal display,” study first author Yuko Hattori said in a statement.
The observation adds credence to the theory that music, particularly instrumental performance, first evolved as a result of the externalisation of emotional expression via vocalisation combined with the use of tools.
Since ancient percussion instruments were made from perishable materials like wood and animal skins, it was difficult to trace them directly through archaeological evidence.
But this observation of musical behaviour in our primate cousin offers a key to understanding the evolution of musicality, researchers say.
Ayumu drumming while expressing his ‘play’ face (Yuko Hattori)
The latest study examined the possibility that vocal expression in the chimp transitioned into instrumental sound.
Scientists began by assessing Ayumu’s behaviour and breaking it down into elements such as striking, dragging, and throwing.
They then evaluated the connections between these elements, determining which transitions occurred by chance and which were deliberate.
Researchers analysed the intervals between strikes and compared the rhythmic stability of tool use with the rhythm of drumming performed using the hands or feet.
They also observed the chimp’s facial expressions such as play face, expressed during play, indicating positive emotions.
The study revealed the sequence of sounds produced by the instruments was not random and that the intervals between strikes maintained a constant tempo, like a metronome.
It confirmed that emotional expressions conveyed vocally by the chimp were likely being externalised and developed into tool sounds.
The research suggests non-human primates may possess the ability to externalise their emotions with instruments.
“Our research highlights the evolutionary continuity between primate acoustic displays and the human capacity for music,” scientists wrote in the study.