Anthropologist Maud Mouginot recalls an encounter with bonobos early one morning in 2019 deep in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo that helped revise her impression of them as the peace-loving “hippy apes.” It was still pitch dark in Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, in the center of the country, and she and colleagues were […]
Tag: Chimpanzee
Africa’s Great Apes Are Already Feeling the Effects of Climate Change, First-of-Its-Kind Study Finds
African great apes are some of the most iconic creatures on Earth. Humans’ closest living relative, these majestic primates are becoming increasingly impacted by climate change. In the next three decades, African apes will experience more extreme events such as heat waves, wildfires and flooding, according to a new study led by Razak Kiribou, a […]
Menopause observed in chimpanzees, challenging our understanding of why humans undergo a loss of reproductive function
New research challenges the idea that humans are the only species of primate in which females experience the menopause – a loss of ability to bear young that occurs long before the end of their natural lifespan. Until now, menopause had only been observed in humans, orcas and four other species of toothed whale. Previous […]
Bonobos and chimps recall friends and family even after years apart: Study
Louise hadn’t seen Loretta in at least 26 years. But when a photo of her sister flashed before her, she seemed drawn to the image. This recognition of a family member might seem unremarkable, but Louise is a bonobo, and her apparent ability to reach into memory and direct attention to Loretta could be evidence […]
Bonobos and Chimps Recognize Faces of Their Friends Even after Many Years of Separation
While human social memory lasts decades and tracks relationships, less is known about non-human ape long-term memory. In a new paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists present evidence that our closest living relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus), recognize the faces of familiar conspecifics even after many […]
‘Fishing’ chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat
The discovery that chimpanzees use tools to fish for termites revolutionized our understanding of their abilities—but we still don’t have crucial context to help us understand termite fishing and chimpanzee minds. Are chimpanzees fishing for a seasonal treat or trying their luck? Researchers based at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and University College […]
Love thy neighbor: Cooperation extends beyond one’s own group in wild bonobos
A study published in Science challenges the notion that only humans are capable of forming strong and strategic cooperative relationships and sharing resources across non-family groups. Researchers from Harvard University and the German Primate Center examined the pro-social behavior of bonobos (Pan paniscus), one of humanity’s closest living relatives, finding that their cooperation extends beyond […]
Research Shows Chimps Using “Military Style Tactics” to Gain Advantage on Rivals
Recent research suggests that troops of chimpanzees in Ivory Coast have embraced a military tactical approach by scaling hilltops for reconnaissance missions and advancing when the enemy is distant or outnumbered. Sylvain Lemoine, a primatologist at the University of Cambridge and the lead author of the study, notes, “These military tactics that we see in […]