Apes News

January 23, 2025

Top Headlines

Jan. 20, 2025 — A new study has described a phenomenon researchers refer to as 'contagious urinations.' The study in 20 captive chimpanzees living at the Kumamoto Sanctuary in Japan shows that, when one chimp pees, others are more likely to ...

Chimpanzees Are Genetically Adapted to Local Habitats and Infections Such as Malaria

Jan. 9, 2025 — Chimpanzees bear genetic adaptations that help them thrive in their different forest and savannah habitats, some of which may protect against malaria, according to a study by an international ...

Chimpanzees Perform the Same Complex Behaviors That Have Brought Humans Success

Dec. 5, 2024 — A new study suggests that the fundamental abilities underlying human language and technological culture may have evolved before humans and apes diverged millions of years ...

The Secret to Our Big Brains Might Be in Our Gut

Dec. 3, 2024 — Brain tissue is among the most energetically costly in the body, and as a result, larger-brained mammals require more energy to support brain growth and maintenance. Exactly which biological changes allowed human ancestors to meet the very high ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:45am EST

In 'World's Bonobo Stronghold' Rangers and Pristine Forest Sustain a Stable Population

Dec. 2, 2024 — Scientists now know how many bonobos live in one of the largest pristine tropical forests, a place believed to be the world's stronghold for the ...

'Genetic Time Machine' Reveals Complex Chimpanzee Cultures

Nov. 27, 2024 — Chimpanzees are known for their remarkable intelligence and use of tools, but could their cultures also evolve over time like human cultures? A new, multidisciplinary study suggests that some of ...

Great Apes Visually Track Subject-Object Relationships Like Humans Do, Study Finds

Nov. 26, 2024 — Great apes track events with their eyes in the same way that humans do, according to a new ...

Friendly Social Behaviors Are Contagious for Chimpanzees

Nov. 20, 2024 — Chimpanzees are more likely to engage in play or groom each other if they see others performing these social behaviors first, researchers ...

These Wild Chimpanzees Play as Adults to Better Cooperate as a Group

Nov. 21, 2024 — Compared to children, adults don't play as much, but social play into adulthood is considered a universal human trait. Play has a role in building tolerance, cohesion, bonding, and cooperation. By ...

Chimpanzees Perform Better on Challenging Computer Tasks When They Have an Audience

Nov. 8, 2024 — When people have an audience watching them, it can change their performance for better or worse. Now, researchers have found that chimpanzees' ...

Oct. 30, 2024 — In common marmosets, the brain regions that process social interactions develop very slowly, extending until early adulthood, like in humans. During this time, all group members are involved in ...

It's Not to Be. Universe Too Short for Shakespeare Typing Monkeys

Oct. 30, 2024 — It would take far longer than the lifespan of our universe for a typing monkey to randomly produce Shakespeare, a new study ...

Why Langurs Drink Salt Water

Oct. 28, 2024 — A new study shows the remarkable adaptability of the critically endangered Cat Ba langurs. Despite low genetic diversity, the langurs have retained key genetic traits that help them survive in their ...

Birth: It's a Tight Squeeze for Chimpanzees, Too

Oct. 23, 2024 — According to a new study, chimpanzees, like humans, must contend with a confined bony birth canal when giving birth. In humans, the problem was exacerbated by our unique form of upright walking since ...

Bonobos May Be More Vulnerable Than Previously Thought, Suggests Genetics Study

Oct. 15, 2024 — Bonobos, endangered great apes that are among our closest relatives, might be more vulnerable than previously understood, finds a genetics study that reveals three distinct ...

Dance, Gibbon, Dance!

Oct. 11, 2024 — Female crested gibbons display jerky, almost geometric patterns of movement. Researchers have studied these conspicuous movements, which are comparable to human dances. They describe the structure of ...

Self-Medicating Gorillas and Traditional Healers Provide Clues for New Drug Discovery

Sep. 11, 2024 — Four plants consumed by wild gorillas in Gabon and used by local communities in traditional medicine show antibacterial and antioxidant properties, researchers ...

Multiple Ways to Evolve Tiny Knee Bone Could Have Helped Humans Walk Upright

Sep. 11, 2024 — The evolution of bones in primates' knees could have implications for how humans evolved to walk ...

Bonobos and Ancient Origin of the 'Common Enemy Effect'

Aug. 23, 2024 — A link between outgroup threats and ingroup cohesion has been considered since the time of Darwin to be an adaptation for group-based competition. During the years since, studies of all sorts -- from ...

Colorful Traits in Primates Ease Tensions Between Groups

Aug. 22, 2024 — Primate ornamentation plays a crucial role in communication not only within social groups but also between them, according to a new study. The research reveals that the males of species with ...

Chimpanzees Gesture Back and Forth Quickly Like in Human Conversations

July 22, 2024 — When people are having a conversation, they rapidly take turns speaking and sometimes even interrupt. Now, researchers who have collected the largest ever dataset of chimpanzee ...

Wild Chimpanzees Seek out Medicinal Plants to Treat Illness and Injuries

June 20, 2024 — Chimpanzees appear to consume plants with medicinal properties to treat their ailments, according to a new ...

Research Into Structures of Ape Hearts Provide Insight Into Human Evolution

June 17, 2024 — Researchers have discovered new insights into the human heart's structure, revealing its evolutionary history. This study enhances understanding of heart development and its implications for ...

Study on Architecture of Heart Offers New Understanding of Human Evolution

June 14, 2024 — An international research team has uncovered a new insight into human evolution by comparing humans' hearts with those of other great ...

Tiny New Species of Great Ape Lived in Germany 11 Million Years Ago

June 7, 2024 — Ancient apes in Germany co-existed by partitioning resources in their environment, according to a new ...

Complete X and Y Chromosome Sequences of Living Great Ape Species Determined

May 29, 2024 — Newly generated, complete genomes for the sex chromosomes of six primate species may inform conservation of these endangered species and shed light on sex-related genetic diseases in both humans and ...

Chimps Learn and Improve Tool-Using Skills Even as Adults, Study Finds

May 7, 2024 — Chimpanzees continue to learn and hone their skills well into adulthood, a capacity that might be essential for the evolution of complex and varied tool use, according to a new ...

Wild Orangutan Treats Wound With Pain-Relieving Plant

May 2, 2024 — A wild orangutan was observed applying a plant with known medicinal properties to a wound, a first for a wild ...

Bonobos Are More Aggressive Than Previously Thought, Study Shows

Apr. 12, 2024 — Chimpanzees and bonobos are often thought to reflect two different sides of human nature -- the conflict-ready chimpanzee versus the peaceful bonobo -- but a new study shows that, within their own ...

Demand for Critical Minerals Puts African Great Apes at Risk

Apr. 3, 2024 — A recent study shows that the threat of mining to the great ape population in Africa has been greatly ...

First View of Centromere Variation and Evolution

Apr. 3, 2024 — A genomic study of human and selected nonhuman primate centromeres has revealed their unimaginable diversity and speed of evolutionary change. Although centromeres are vital to proper cell ...

Wild Bird Gestures 'After You'

Mar. 25, 2024 — A small-bird species, the Japanese tit (Parus minor), uses wing movements as a gesture to convey the message 'after you,' according to new research. When a mating pair arrives at their nest ...

Chimp Moms Play With Their Offspring Through Good Times and Bad

Mar. 14, 2024 — A recent study observing wild chimpanzees over a period of more than 10 years revealed that when food gets scarcer, the adults put play aside and focus on survival, while mother chimps continue to be ...

African Great Apes Predicted to See Frequent Extreme Climate Events in the Next 30 Years

Feb. 28, 2024 — African apes are already being exposed to climate change impacts, and will experience extreme events such as wildfires, heatwaves and flooding more frequently in the next 30 years, according to a new ...