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Neurobehavioral Integrity of Chimpanzee Newborns: Comparisons across groups and across species reveal

Kim A Bard1, Linda Brent2, Barry Lester3

  • 1Centre for the Study of Emotion, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth UK.

Infant and Child Development
|August 12, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Chimpanzee and human newborns show similar neurobehavioral development, with early experiences shaping organization. Genes and environment interact to influence newborn neurobehavioral integrity in hominids.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Comparative Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Understanding newborn neurobehavioral development is crucial for assessing developmental trajectories.
  • Early experiences significantly influence neurobehavioral organization in primates.
  • Comparative studies are essential for elucidating species-specific and shared developmental patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the neurobehavioral integrity of chimpanzee newborns.
  • To investigate the impact of early experiences on chimpanzee neurobehavioral organization.
  • To explore species differences by comparing chimpanzee and human newborns.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), a semi-structured interactive assessment.
  • Assessed neurobehavioral integrity (orientation, motor performance, arousal, state regulation) in 55 chimpanzee and 42 human newborns.
  • Conducted longitudinal testing of chimpanzees and cross-species comparisons at 2 and 30 days of age.

Main Results:

  • Significant developmental changes observed in 19 of 27 NBAS scores in chimpanzees over time.
  • Substantial differences in neurobehavioral scores among four different chimpanzee rearing groups.
  • Humans and chimpanzees exhibited remarkable similarity in neurobehavioral integrity, with humans showing only less muscle tone.

Conclusions:

  • Newborn neurobehavioral integrity in hominids is shaped by the interplay of genes and environment.
  • Early experiences and rearing environments significantly impact neurobehavioral organization in chimpanzees.
  • Cross-species comparisons reveal significant overlap in newborn neurobehavioral profiles between humans and chimpanzees.

Keywords:
Brazelton testNBASapeearly developmentemotionepigenesisinfantsocial cognition

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