The human brain is three times the size of our closest primate relatives and a new study is the first to identify how we developed the larger cerebrum. Researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge solved the mystery by collecting cells from humans, gorillas and chimpanzees that were reprogrammed … Read more
Orphaned chimpanzees are found to face lifelong setbacks, as mothers teach foraging and social skills, study reveals Orphaned male chimps have fewer offspring and are less competitive as adults Chimps stay with mothers until they’re teens but feed themselves by age 4 or 5 Researchers think mothers continue to teach juveniles foraging and social skills … Read more
Elephants can ‘catch yawns’ from familiar humans just like chimpanzees and dogs – suggesting they are more similar to us than previously thought Elephant handlers were asked to yawn, fake yawn and make mouth movements They ‘caught a yawn’ whenever the handlers yawned for real or fake yawned Before this only chimps and dogs had … Read more
Tiny bone discovered in the hearts of chimpanzees may be a sign of heart disease — and could even be present in some humans too Researchers from Nottingham found the bone in micro-CT scan of chimp hearts The exact purpose of the ‘os cordis’ is unclear, but it may be a product of disease It was … Read more
Chimpanzees develop their own local cultures and customs by imitating each other, researchers reveal Scientists from the Max Planck Institute studied chimpanzee behavior in Africa They used cameras and site samples from more than 40 different locations They found many locations had their own local customs These included different methods of ‘termite fishing’ to get … Read more
Origin of the Species: Eighty gestures are decoded as scientists discover that chimpanzees have a secret language EXCLUSIVE Dr Hobaiter thought to be first person to fully understand chimps The 39-year-old spent 13 years decoding their distinctive gestures in Uganda Meanings behind their body movements include ‘come here’, ‘let’s go’ and ‘stop’ By Eleanor Sharples … Read more