Evidence That Chimpanzee Moms Can Be Sneaky, Too

Evidence That Chimpanzee Moms Can Be Sneaky, Too
December 18, 201411:24 AM ET



Because I teach biological anthropology, I'm reading a lot of student work this week that focuses on the African apes, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas. During this end-of-semester grading marathon, I've got a festive balance going: grade a handful of papers; grab a Christmas cookie; grade a handful more; wrap a present or two.

More than once, I've taken a break to view a brief video that one of the students in my primate behavior class sent me. The student — in preparing her research paper on chimpanzees' ability to deceive others intentionally — discovered this minute-long clip filmed among chimpanzees in the West African nation of Guinea (see here for more information):

Jane Goodall's decades of work among wild chimpanzees in Tanzania has taught us that chimpanzee mothers are loving and patient, carrying their youngest infants round-the-clock and continuing to care for them intensely for years. But the Guinea video gives us a glimpse of the sneaky side of maternal behavior!

Deception is by no means limited to African apes: I'd guess that many 13.7 readers who live with dogs would report that their canine companions deliberately try to deceive them now and again — in order to avoid punishment for some misdeed or to gain extra treats. But chimpanzees aren't domesticated animals, as dogs are. The clip shows ape-to-ape deception carried out with special flair.

More:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2014/12/18/371656574/evidence-that-chimpanzee-moms-can-be-sneaky-too