Chimps and bonobos are practically the same species of ape. But their behavior is so different that, depending on the IQ test you give them, either one can look like a genius — or a dummy. Chimps are the more pragmatic of the two. They use tools as a matter of routine. Although they’re social [...]
Our neighbors are pretty annoying — she screams at him and their kids, and the whole family dashes indoors whenever we step outside. They’re hard to communicate with. But at least they don’t leap over the hedge and kick us and move into our house. They’re not chimpanzees. Researchers following a troop of chimps in [...]
When you were young, if you heard your mother barking at your brother, that sounded normal. But if you heard your brother barking at your mother, you pricked up your ears. You didn’t have to see them to know something was going to happen. Chimpanzees, too, can extract that information from overheard conflicts. Researchers working [...]
It’s a well known fact that humans prefer to copy the behavior of high-status people. So, when chimpanzees learn, do they prefer one role model over another? Yep. And they may be a bit more reasonable in the role models they choose. Unfortunately in our (American) culture, you can acquire high status merely by making [...]
Chimpanzee mothers and daughters: Not so friendly. Not really into shoe shopping together and seeing a movie. And this news actually makes human females seem a little more normal. For some reason, primate researchers believe that a female chimp’s best friend is her mother, or her daughter. And chimps do hang in pairs or small [...]
Oh, the mortal coil. One of my mice has a squinty eye — some life-threatening infection? And the “hip saver” doc just told me he can’t save my hip. Life as an animal is a battle against the organic blob of minerals and proteins called “The Body.” That thing just has too [...]
Ouch! Another blow to human pride! Not only are we not the only animal to plan war (chimps do this, undertaking elaborate raids on neighboring troops); not only are we not the only animal to use tools (membership in this club is growing too quickly to monitor); but we’re ALSO not the only animal to [...]
