Multimodal Communication in Nonhuman Primates and Humans

Humans and other primates communicate in multiple sensory modalities, and language itself is usually a multimodal form of communication. Discussion of the multimodal nature of primate communication goes back at least as far as the publications of Charles Darwin and has recently seen renewed interest. Here, I review key topics in the study of multimodal communication in nonhuman primates and humans, including issues of definitional complexity as well as classification systems and empirical approaches. I argue that multimodal communication is ubiquitous, ingrained, and advantageous. I discuss sensory aging and how multimodal communication can offer alternative routes to comprehension when sensory systems become impaired. To conclude, I consider future avenues of research that seem likely to prove productive.