Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 27, 2026
07:40
A Data Integration Workflow to Identify Drug Combinations Targeting Synthetic Lethal Interactions
Published on: May 27, 2021
4.6K
Lethal aggression in Pan is better explained by adaptive strategies than human impacts
Michael L Wilson1, Christophe Boesch2, Barbara Fruth3
11] Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, 395 Humphrey Center, 301 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA [2] Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA.
Nature
|September 19, 2014
Summary
Male chimpanzees frequently engage in lethal violence, often in intercommunity attacks, supporting adaptive strategies rather than human impact as a cause for this behavior.
Area of Science:
- Primate behavior
- Ethology
- Anthropology
Background:
- Conspecific killing in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) is a significant area of study.
- Two main hypotheses explain lethal violence: adaptive strategies for fitness benefits or non-adaptive results of human impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between adaptive and human impact hypotheses for conspecific killing.
- To analyze patterns of lethal violence in chimpanzees and bonobos using long-term data.
Main Methods:
- Compiled data from 18 chimpanzee and 4 bonobo communities over five decades.
- Included observed, inferred, and suspected killings (n=152 in chimpanzees, 1 in bonobos).
- Analyzed attacker/victim demographics, attack types, and ratios, correlating with human impact measures.
Main Results:
- Males were predominant attackers (92%) and victims (73%).
- Most killings (66%) were intercommunity attacks with a high attacker-to-victim ratio (median 8:1).
- Killing rates showed no correlation with human impact indicators.
Conclusions:
- Findings support adaptive explanations for chimpanzee killing, such as resource or mate acquisition.
- The hypothesis that human impacts drive conspecific killing is not supported by the data.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Impact of Groups on Groups
238
Social psychologists analyze how groups influence one another, shaping social structures and interactions through both cooperation and competition. These dynamics manifest in various ways, ranging from economic partnerships to intergroup conflicts that shape societal structures and perceptions.Cooperation and Competition in Intergroup RelationsIntergroup relationships vary across contexts, sometimes fostering cooperation and mutual benefit while at other times leading to conflict and...
238
01:47Aggression
30.1K
Humans engage in aggression when they seek to cause harm or pain to another person. Aggression takes two forms depending on one’s motives: hostile or instrumental. Hostile aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain; a fight in a bar with a stranger is an example of hostile aggression. In contrast, instrumental aggression is motivated by achieving a goal and does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain (Berkowitz, 1993); a contract killer who murders for...
30.1K
02:41Lethal Alleles
17.8K
Agouti: A Lethal Allele
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
17.8K
02:34Kinetic Molecular Theory and Gas Laws Explain Properties of Gas Molecules
37.3K
The test of the kinetic molecular theory (KMT) and its postulates is its ability to explain and describe the behavior of a gas. The various gas laws (Boyle’s, Charles’s, Gay-Lussac’s, Avogadro’s, and Dalton’s laws) can be derived from the assumptions of the KMT, which have led chemists to believe that the assumptions of the theory accurately represent the properties of gas molecules.
37.3K
01:21Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation
669
Affiliation motivation is the intrinsic desire to connect with others and belong to a social group, which plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining personal relationships. This type of motivation is essential for psychological well-being, as it provides individuals with a sense of community and support. An example of this is a student who joins a study group in order to feel a sense of connection. People with high affiliation motivation actively seek social approval, take satisfaction in...
669
01:30Impact
487
Impact occurs when two bodies collide, leading to the application of impulsive forces between them. Analyzing impact mechanics involves considering two colliding particles moving along a line known as the line of impact, which passes through their centers and is perpendicular to the contact plane.
When particles with different initial velocities collide, they induce deformation by applying equal and opposite impulses. At the point of maximum deformation, the particles move together with...
When particles with different initial velocities collide, they induce deformation by applying equal and opposite impulses. At the point of maximum deformation, the particles move together with...
487