MAKING CHIMPANZEE  HUMAN COMPARISONS

CHIMPANZEE

THEY PLAY:

Chimpanzees spend many hours playing, this helps them establish strong social relationships and develop cooperative attitudes. And as in humans, the ways of playing and the companions of play change as the primates grow.

 THEY SAY NO:

Saying the word “no” is very important to humans, because it means that there is free choice to make their own decisions. Surprisingly, primates also know how to express: “no” in one of the same ways that people do too: head shaking. The bonobos at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany were recorded when they moved their heads to express disapproval or to make the younger primates stop playing with their food and to prevent them from going astray (like children).

THEY KNOW TO SMILE:

They smile in silence or with others, out loud, communicating their positive emotions, similar to humans. 

THEY THINK THEY THINK:

Chimpanzees have metacognition, that is, they can reflect on their own thoughts and mental processes. It seems that they are aware of what they know and what they do not know, which allows them to make intelligent decisions.

THEY MAKE THE WAR:

They participate in coordinated attacks against other members of the same species. What moves them to commit violent acts is an adaptive strategy.