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Researchers find that some animals communicate and socialise through small talk, which is a trait that has been passed down through generations of primates, according to Science Daily.

Ringtailed lemurs get involved in typical grooming rituals in order to socialise. However, "vocalizations" are also employed with peers that are closely bonded, according to researchers with Princeton University  studied ringtailed lemurs living in groups.

"Our results indicate that when animals respond to each other's vocalizations, they are in fact also working on maintaining their social bonds," said first author Ipek Kulahci. "By exchanging vocalizations, the animals are reinforcing their social bonds even when they are away from each other."

The study  was published in the journal Animal Behaviour, pointing out that there is some similarity in the manner in which humans and primates interact.

"This social selectivity in vocalizations is almost equivalent to how we humans keep in regular touch with our close friends and families, but not with everyone we know," added Kulahci.

Co-author Asif Ghazanfar also thinks that the creation of small talk is just like the way the primitive lemurs employ vocalisations.

"I think these vocalizations are equivalent to the chitchat that we do," said Ghazanfar. "People think that conversations are like exchanging mini-lectures full of information. But most of the time we have conversations and forget them when we're done because they're performing a purely social function."