Abstract
Language is a social construct that subsumes a high degree of cooperative action on the part of the interactants. Shared cooperative motifs are deeply embedded in linguistic practice as symbol use requires two speakers to focus their attention on a shared referent in order to reach an understanding.
Evolutionary precursors to this cooperative endeavour can be found in triadic interactions of nonhuman animals, involving a signaller, a recipient and a third entity or object. Here, we introduce two of the most compelling examples of triadic communicative interactions in nonhuman animals -referential gesturing of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and ravens (Corvus corax) living in natural environments.
These examples of homologue and convergent evolution enable a better understanding of the communicative complexity and the cognitive mechanism underlying triadic referential abilities and may hold promising clues to unravel the factors influencing the evolution of human cooperative communication.