Ape Empathy Shatters Species Stereotypes

Have you ever comforted a friend who was upset? It turns out our closest ape relatives do exactly the same thing – and in ways that challenge what scientists have believed for decades.

A groundbreaking new study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior has discovered that bonobos and chimpanzees console their distressed friends at almost identical rates. This finding upends the long-held belief that bonobos (often called “hippie apes”) are naturally more empathetic than their chimpanzee cousins.

Scientists from Durham University spent over 1,400 hours watching how 90 apes – 40 bonobos and 50 chimpanzees – responded when their friends were upset after fights or other stressful situations.

“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,” explained Dr. Jake Brooker, who led the research. “However, we found that chimpanzees are just as likely to console one another as bonobos.”

Both species show their concern in ways that might look familiar – hugging, touching, and holding hands with the upset individual. This behavior is called “consolation” and it’s considered a sign of empathy – the ability to understand and share someone else’s feelings.

What’s especially cool is how the apes’ ages affected their behavior. Younger apes of both species were much more likely to offer comfort than older ones. In bonobos, younger individuals were both more likely to console others and receive consolation themselves. For chimpanzees, young males and close friends were the most comforting.

The researchers conducted their observations at two wildlife sanctuaries: Lola ya Bonobo in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia. These sanctuaries provide homes for apes that have been rescued, often as orphans.

Professor Zanna Clay, who supervised the study, pointed out the significance of these findings: “Although empathy is very important for our own species, our findings show that empathic behaviours, like consolation, appear to be a common trait we also share with our two closest ape relatives.”

This discovery suggests that our shared ancestor with these apes – who lived around 7 million years ago – probably showed empathy too. That means the roots of human kindness go back much further than we thought!

The researchers also found that, just like humans, individual apes have different personalities. Some are naturally more caring and quick to comfort others, while others are less responsive – regardless of which species they belong to.

“Just like humans, bonobos and chimpanzees may flexibly show empathy depending on the individual, the group, and the surrounding social culture,” Dr. Brooker noted.

The scientists now want to observe more groups of apes in the wild to see if these patterns hold true in natural environments. Their findings could help us better understand not just apes, but also the evolution of our own social behaviors.

So next time you comfort a friend, remember – you’re taking part in a tradition that goes back millions of years in our evolutionary family tree!