Tag

Chimpanzees

All articles tagged with #chimpanzees

science1 day ago•4 min saved

Ngogo Chimps in Uganda Split into a Violent Factional War, New Study Finds

Researchers say the Ngogo chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda—the world’s largest wild group—have split into Western and Central factions since 2018, resulting in at least 24 killings (including 17 infants). A Science study identifies three likely catalysts: the 2014 deaths of five adult males and one adult female, a 2015 alpha-male change, and a 2017 respiratory epidemic. The authors argue that social and relational dynamics, rather than religion or ethnicity, can drive group violence and offer insight into the roots of human conflict.

via BBC|

#chimpanzee-warfare #chimpanzees #ethology

science2 days ago•4 min saved

Rare intra-group warfare observed among wild chimpanzees in Uganda

A Science study reports the first known case of a wild chimpanzee community, the Ngogo group in Kibale National Park, Uganda, splitting into western and central factions by 2018 after decades of cohesion. The ensuing seven-year conflict involved 24 coordinated attacks that killed at least seven adult males and 17 infants. Researchers link the fracture to shifts in social hierarchy (notably an alpha-male change), the deaths of key older individuals, and a 2017 disease outbreak, suggesting that disruptions to social ties could make such in-group violence more likely—an insight with conservation implications for social species.

via The Guardian|

#chimpanzees #civil-war #ngogo

science20 days ago•2 min saved

Parasite makes chimpanzees crave leopard urine, hinting at human olfactory quirks

New research shows Toxoplasma gondii can alter chimpanzee behavior, drawing infected individuals to the scent of leopards (the parasite’s natural predator), likely boosting transmission when felines prey on them; similar olfactory effects are suspected in humans, suggesting an evolutionary relic of the parasite’s manipulation.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#chimpanzees #humans #leopard-urine

science24 days ago•5 min saved

Chimps Favor Crystals, Hinting at Ancient Cognitive Bias

Enculturated chimpanzees at a Madrid sanctuary repeatedly preferred crystals over ordinary rocks, inspecting their transparency and shape, and even sorting them into groups. The behavior mirrors perceptual biases that may have guided early human cognition toward recognizing symmetry and Euclidean form, potentially influencing the development of symbolic thought—though the study is small and requires replication in wild apes.

via Indian Defence Review|

#chimpanzees #cognition #crystals

animals29 days ago•44 min saved

Chimp Crystals Hint at Deep Evolution of Humans' Fascination with Shiny Stones

Encultured chimpanzees showed a strong attraction to quartz crystals, preferring them over ordinary rocks, carrying crystals to sleeping areas, and even selecting crystals from a pile in tests, suggesting a possible deep evolutionary pull toward shiny minerals. The findings could shed light on why humans have long valued crystals and gems, hinting at cognitive roots for value, though results must be interpreted cautiously since the chimps were not wild and replication in wild populations is needed.

via Good News Network|

#ancestors #animals #chimpanzees

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Chimpanzee Crystal Craze Hints at Ancient Geometry

Researchers at a Spanish chimpanzee sanctuary handed quartz crystals to two groups of rescued chimps; the apes showed strong interest—dragging, examining, and even trading bananas or yogurt to recover the largest crystal—while others sorted crystals by type. García-Ruiz suggests chimps’ attraction to crystals may stem from their Euclidean geometry, hinting at ancient cognitive roots shared with humans.

via Boing Boing|

#animal-cognition #chimpanzees #crystals

science1 month ago•10 min saved

Crystal Allure: Which Chimps Are Born to Wield Quartz

Researchers tested nine chimpanzees at a Spanish rehab center, offering crystals and ordinary stones and observing that chimps distinguished crystals and showed varying levels of attraction, with individuals like Toti and especially Sandy displaying the strongest engagement. The study highlights a “crystal allure” in chimps, fueling playful speculation about which chimp could become a symbolic “crystal healer,” while noting the findings are exploratory and tied to broader debates about human-crystal fascination.

via defector.com|

#chimpanzees #crystal-allure #crystals

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Chimpanzees Refute Adolescent Risk Peak, Highlight Supervision as Key

Wild chimpanzees show no adolescent peak in physical risk-taking. Instead, risky moves like leaping and dropping are most common in early childhood (2–5 years) and decline with age, with adolescents (10–15) being less likely than younger youngsters and no strong sex differences observed. The study suggests that caregiver supervision plays a major role in shaping risk-taking, a pattern that may help explain human development as well. In lab tasks, chimps also become more risk-averse with age, a parallel to human risk behavior across the lifespan.

via ScienceAlert|

#adolescence #chimpanzees #parenting

obituaries6 months ago•1 min saved

Jane Goodall, Renowned Primatologist and Conservationist, Passes Away at 91

Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist known for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees and her advocacy for conservation, passed away at 91, leaving a legacy of scientific discovery and environmental activism.

via The New York Times|

#chimpanzees #conservation #gombe-stream

science6 months ago•1 min saved

Jane Goodall, Renowned Primatologist and Conservationist, Passes Away at 91

Jane Goodall, renowned for her groundbreaking research on wild chimpanzees and her conservation efforts, passed away at the age of 86. Her pioneering work in Tanzania in the 1960s revealed that chimpanzees use tools, challenging previous notions of human uniqueness and profoundly influencing our understanding of animal behavior and human evolution.

via The New York Times|

#animal-behavior #chimpanzees #conservation

world6 months ago•11 min saved

Jane Goodall, Renowned Primatologist and Conservationist, Dies at 91

Jane Goodall, renowned primatologist known for her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees and her conservation efforts, has died at 91. Her work revolutionized understanding of animal intelligence and social behavior, and she dedicated her life to protecting wildlife and inspiring environmental activism worldwide.

via The Washington Post|

#animal-behavior #chimpanzees #conservation

science6 months ago•2 min saved

Research Supports 'Drunken Monkey' Theory of Alcohol Consumption in Chimps

Wild chimpanzees consume the equivalent of a daily lager's alcohol from ripened fruit, supporting the 'drunken monkey' hypothesis that humans' taste for alcohol may have evolved from primate ancestors relying on fermented fruit for food, although the amount consumed does not cause drunkenness.

via BBC|

#alcohol-consumption #chimpanzees #drunken-monkey-hypothesis

science6 months ago•2 min saved

Wild chimpanzees' fermented fruit diet supports 'drunken monkey' theory

Wild chimpanzees in Uganda and Côte d'Ivoire consume fermented fruit containing about 0.3% alcohol, which amounts to roughly two human cocktails per day, highlighting their natural exposure to alcohol through diet.

via CBS News|

#alcohol #chimpanzees #ethanol

science7 months ago•3 min saved

Ancient Humans Possibly Walked Upright Before Leaving the Trees

Recent research suggests that early human ancestors may have developed upright walking skills while still in trees, challenging the traditional view that bipedalism arose solely from adapting to open savannahs, with chimpanzee behaviors providing key insights into this evolutionary process.

via ScienceAlert|

#arboreal-behavior #bipedalism #chimpanzees

science7 months ago•4 min saved

Chimpanzee Communication Styles Learned from Mothers, Not Fathers

A study shows that young chimpanzees learn their vocal and visual communication styles primarily from their mothers, not their fathers, suggesting that social learning of communication may date back to the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees millions of years ago.

via NPR|

#animal-behavior #chimpanzees #communication