![]() ![]() Many of the researchers, including Dave Morgan, a research fellow with the Lester E. "We didn't find any definite cases of killing by bonobos, though there was one case of a male bonobo who was severely attacked by members of his own group and never seen again," Wilson said. Unsurprisingly, the bonobos showed little violence. ![]() Also, chimpanzees in East Africa killed more frequently than did chimps in West Africa, the study found. Instead, attacks were more common at sites with many males and high population densities. The different acts of violence did not depend on human impacts, Wilson said. The bonobos had one suspected killing, the researchers said. The chimpanzees exhibited 152 killings, including 58 that the scientists observed, 41 that were inferred and 53 suspected killings in 15 communities, the researchers said. In all, the scientists collected data on 18 chimpanzee groups and four bonobo groups living in Africa. He and his colleagues collaborated with researchers who are studying chimpanzees and bonobos, another ape that shares a common ancestor with humans. "People have argued that these increasing human impacts could also be putting more pressure on chimpanzee populations, leading to more chimpanzee violence," Wilson said. ![]() Loggers cut down forests farmers clear land for crops, and hunters kill chimps for food. As populations in Africa grow, people are infringing on chimpanzee habitats. Yet other scientists counter that human intrusions are to blame for the chimps' coordinated, lethal aggression. Perhaps this behavior originated with a common ancestor some 5 to 7 million years ago, Wilson said. After all, humans and chimpanzees are the only two species in the world known to attack each other in organized onslaughts. But observations of chimpanzees by legendary primatologist Jane Goodall and other researchers challenged the idea that warfare is a modern human development. ![]()
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