![]() Andrews explained that because it varies among groups as opposed to chimpanzee families, “this indicates that, like humans, chimpanzees have the capacity and motivation to learn from each other and fine tune their learned behavior such that it matches with the group ‘norm.’ ”Ī behavior passed down through a family line does not explain why chimps within one group will clasp hands in one way and chimps in another will clasp in another. And only some groups of these apes perform the handclasp. Grooming itself is a social behavior that does more than clean the chimps: It is also a bonding experience, a way to relax and an action that defers to the hierarchy of the chimp community. Read: What Monkey Brains and Social Behavior Tell Us About Human Minds Scientists studying the behavior in Zambia said it’s a “group-level cultural tradition in chimpanzees” rather than one passed down from mothers to their young. ![]() But the exact form this rare chimp handshake varies among groups, with some gripping each other’s palms and the others gripping wrists depending on what group they were in. ![]() AndrewsĬhimpanzees want to fit in with the popular kids, just like humans do - researchers say chimps will change their behavior to match what others are doing.Ī study in the journal Current Biology points to a specific type of behavior in these apes called the “grooming handclasp.” It’s exactly what it sounds like: Two animals engaged in the social interaction of grooming will clasp one another’s hands. The behavior’s origin shows chimps can form and adhere to cultures just like humans. Some chimpanzees clasp hands while grooming, a behavior they acquire in groups rather than learn from their families.
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