Chimpanzees comfort each other when in distress through behaviors such as embracing, holding hands, and touching. Researchers at Durham University found this despite chimpanzees typically being referred to as “violent” and “despotic” compared to other apes. The study revealed that chimpanzees are as likely to console one another as their more “empathic” counterparts, the bonobos.
The research team logged 1,400 hours of observation across both species, focusing on individuals’ reactions when a group member experienced distress, such as after a fight. The findings showed that emotional sensitivity to others emerges early in ape development, with younger individuals being the most likely to offer and receive consolation. In bonobos, younger individuals were consistently the most likely to console and be consoled.
Chimpanzee comforting behaviors identified
In chimpanzees, young males and close social partners exhibited the most consoling behaviors. Both species demonstrated human-like comforting behaviors, including embracing, hand-holding, and touching. Dr.
Jake Brooker, lead researcher, commented, “For a long time, bonobos have been thought of as the more empathic ape, whilst chimpanzees are typically spoken about as the violent, despotic ape. However, we found that chimpanzees are just as likely to console one another as bonobos.”
This study marks the first direct comparison of the two species’ approaches to consolation. Researchers studied 40 bonobos at the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 50 chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia.
The work was funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation. The team hopes that further research of this kind could shed light on the evolution of human social behavior.
Image Credits: Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
