BONOBOS CHIMP OUR FIRST COUSINS

FACTS OF LIFE

INTRO:

Everyone is familiar with the comparisons between humans and our "closest cousins" – chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. But has anyone ever heard of bonobos? If not, don't feel left out. Even one of the top bonobo researchers in the world says that in the minds of most people, bonobos don't really exist. But the wilds of the Congo region of Africa suggest otherwise. Estimates suggest between 5,000 and 25,000 of the peaceful primates live there.

A NEAR RELATIVE:

This finding commands attention because the bonobo shares more than 98% of our genetic profile, making it as close to a human as, say, a fox is to a dog.


BODY FEATURES:

While they may appear chimpanzee-like to the untrained eye, bonobos are different. "In terms of body mass, they are very similar to chimpanzees,". "But they're much more gracile. They have longer legs, they're slender, they don't have the huge shoulders and thick neck [of chimps], and they have a smaller head. They're also more elegantly built and move more elegantly than chimps. And when the bonobos stand upright, they look very human-like because they have these different body proportions."

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR:

In terms of social behaviour, bonobos are almost the opposite of the chimpanzee in that they're relatively peaceful, as far as we know, they don't have inter-group warfare going on, they eat a little bit of meat but much less than chimpanzees, and they're not great hunters." But here's where it gets interesting: "Male dominance is not there. It's rather the opposite where females dominate the show." And it doesn't stop there!


CHILD DEPENDANCY:
Female bonobos nurse and carry around their young for up to five years.


SEX:

They seem to resolve a lot of their conflicts with sexual behaviour,If two bonobos have a fight, they may make up with a sexual reconciliation, which is typical for their species. So there's a lot of sexual activity that goes on that has more social meaning than reproductive meaning." Their sexuality also mirrors humans in a couple of other ways, too. Bonobos have a greater variety of sexual postures.

Research has proven that Humanbeings are second most promiscuous animals after bonobos.


THE MALE AND THEIR MOTHERS:

Bonobo males remain attached to their mothers all their lives, following them through the forest and being dependent on them for protection in aggressive encounters with other males. As a result, the highest-ranking males of a bonobo community tend to be sons of important females.

Internet research by Sally.