What makes us human?

Visitors are being encouraged to talk like a chimpanzee, sing like a whale and think like a dog at the University of St Andrews’ Wardlaw Museum this summer.

What Makes Us Human? is a new exhibition opening this week (Sunday 28 May) that allows visitors to get hands-on with experiments, explore the traits that humans share with animals, and perhaps discover that we’re more alike than we thought.

Visitors can try their hand at understanding what chimpanzees are communicating, using tools to get food like crows, and exploring how south Pacific humpback whales experience musical revolutions that scientists have likened to the arrival of The Beatles.

The exhibition has been developed with Dr Manon Schweinfurth from the University’s School of Psychology and Neuroscience and makes use of years of research into the behaviours of animals by academics at the University.

More information on the exhibit can be found on the University's news page and the What Makes Us Human website.