Baby chimps that spend more time with someone other than their mothers can be weaned from breastfeeding faster than those cared for solely by their mom. A team of researchers observed 42 mother-infant pairs to see how much care time by others—defined as “alloparenting”—affects the feeding time for the infant. They observed that infants who […]
Tag: wild chimpanzees
Chimps get by with a little help from their friends
Being in the company of friends is not only a cure for loneliness, but also a good way to relieve stress. New research observed overall lower levels of stress hormones in wild chimpanzees when surrounded by their peers. Interestingly, this isn’t just true for stressful situations—such as a confrontation from a rival chimp gang—but also […]
