Bonobo is very close to humans

At a bonobo research center called Lola ya Bonobo, right near the capital of the Republic of Congo is Kinshasa, scientists have discovered many interesting things about primates that are the closest relatives of humans.

The hominid primate Brain Hare, who specializes in the thinking of bonobos monkeys ' Bonobos are the smartest monkeys in the world. The species we don't rush to be proud of. There are countless things we can learn from them. '

Monkey Bonobo's mother at the center of Lola ya Bonobo, near the capital of Kinshasa, the Republic of Congo.

Genetically, bonobo monkeys are very close to humans. Hare said: "People often confuse bonobos with chimpanzees, but actually these two species are quite different. Bonobo is smaller, face is black, red lips, black and long hair, high voice. Meanwhile, fine The voice is more refined and deep. 'The difference is that chimpanzees are very aggressive, they fight very aggressively, sometimes even. They use sexual activity to maintain peace in the pack '.

Hare, a tutor in Duke's Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, spent years living in the Congo to study bonobos, specifically about their behavior and how they deal with the relationship. his kind.

Recently, he and his colleagues presented their observations in the Current Biology Journal with the content: Monkey bonobos live very generously, always willing to share food with friends, including concessions while Chimpanzees - very similar in form to bonobos - are extremely selfish and mature chimpanzees.

In the experiment, he entrusted bonobos with a storage of food, had the right to keep it for themselves or open the door to allow other children to eat together. Hundred times like one, they are all open to 'entertain' friends.

In another series of experiments at the Tchimpounga estuary, Congo, they conducted a comparison of the bonobo monkey's personality with chimpanzees. The young chimpanzees share their food drink with friends naturally, just like a baby bonobo, when they grow up, they have a different way of behaving while the old bonobos remain the same as they were when they were small.

"It seems to be a difference in the development process," said Harvard University student Victoria Wobber in Hare's research group. "The evolution process affects their perception."

Hare thinks that bonobos behave like this because they live in a favorable environment, a rich food source in the southern Congo River, not competing with food sources like chimpanzees and gorillas living together.

However, the enemies of this pitiful bonobos are humans and the hunting of bonobos is happening in a popular way by poachers making them stand on the brink of extinction and become the object of protection. Strict.

Hare said: "Sadly, bonobos are not immune to poachers and are easy to shoot. Their meat is widely sold in big cities in the Congo. After killing the mother bonobo, they often sell bonobos. I was able to feed myself and some were bought by benefactors and brought to the Rescue Center called Lolo ya Bonobo, just outside the capital of Kinshasa . " 'Lolo ya Bonobo' means 'bonobo paradise', which takes care of about 60 orphaned bonobos. Here they live with other wild bonobos in nature, on an area of ​​75 acres (1 acre equal to 4,000 square meters).

The rescued bonobos became the subject of research for the Hare group. Scientists use the most modern means to understand the behavior of primates closest to humans. Hare said: 'We designed fun games for bonobos to play, watching how they solved problems. We already know a lot about animal psychology that part of it was published in Current Biology '.

After the bonobos play around with the pre-designed games' we release them to the outside environment so they can live and play with their fellow humans in the wild jungle. In general, we observe them every day for about an hour, after which they are free to live their way with self-made food '.

Lola ya Bonobo is the world's best on-site research site. Here, Hare has an assistant, the Congo student named Suzy Kwetuenda, and she will become the Congo's first scientist to specialize in the psychology of bonobos, and will be a warrior to protect spirits. This most human-like chief, a species that currently only exists in her country.

Source: LiveScience