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