Data from: Spontaneous rhythmic and tool-assisted drumming across variable tempo and technique in a captive chimpanzee

In short, a captive chimpanzee named Toon drummed alongside vocalizations
for several minutes, including across multiple pant hoot displays. We
annotate this observation with precise onset timing, calculate inter-onset
intervals, and analyze rhythmicity according to acoustic production mode
and pant hoot display phase. Full methods and details can be found in the
accompanying publication, whose abstract reads: Rhythmic drumming on
percussive instruments is a common element of music across human cultures.
Chimpanzees drum on the buttress roots of trees and on man-made objects,
and often combine their drumming with long-distance
pant-hoot vocalizations. Previous studies have suggested that
chimpanzees select drumming substrates for their acoustic properties and
that chimpanzee drumming shares core elements of human musicality (e.g.,
non-random timing, isochronous - metronome-like rhythm, and
de-contextualized production in captivity). But to what extent can
chimpanzees flexibly control their drumming rhythm across percussive media
and techniques? Here, we report on a long-lasting drumming session by a
captive chimpanzee named Toon, which was performed across multiple
pant-hoot displays and employed diverse action forms, including
drumstick-on-drum tool-composite use. We find flexible (isochronous)
rhythm production across drumming implements, techniques, and tempi.
Further, we describe tool composite transport and reuse, selectivity of
percussive acoustic properties associated with different vocal elements,
and variable use of the facial expression “play face” associated with
faster and less variable rhythms, potentially indicating intrinsic
enjoyment of such rhythms. Together, these findings provide evidence for
key elements of human musicality in Toon’s drumming, supporting the
hypothesis of shared evolutionary roots of human and chimpanzee drumming.