Juvenile Great Apes Love to Tease and Annoy Their Elders, Study Finds
Young Chimps, Orangutans, Bonobos, and Gorillas Show a Wide Range of Playful and Sometimes Aggressive Behaviors
Humans often think of themselves as unique in their behaviors, but a recent study1 reveals that great apes share some of our more mischievous tendencies. Footage captured at San Diego and Leipzig zoos unveils the playful yet sometimes vexing antics of young chimps, orangutans, bonobos, and gorillas.
Insights from the Study
Researchers meticulously analyzed 75 hours of footage and documented 142 instances of great apes engaging in teasing behavior. Most of these instances were initiated by juveniles aged three to five years old. The teasing ranged from playful acts like poking, prodding, and tickling to more elaborate behaviors such as offering objects only to retract them and body-slamming each other.
Provocative Teasing
Dr. Isabelle Laumer, from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, describes the teasing as provocative, intentional, and typically one-sided. It's a behavior that often stems from the teaser and persists throughout the interaction. Interestingly, failure to respond to a teasing act often led to more persistent teasing from the ape initiating the behavior.
Similarities with Human Infant Teasing
The study also draws parallels between ape teasing and human infant behavior. Human infants engage in teasing from as early as eight months, often testing social boundaries and seeking reactions from caregivers. Similarly, young great apes target adults more frequently but often spare their own parents.
Evolutionary Implications
The study raises questions about the evolutionary origins of teasing behavior. With evidence of teasing in our closest primate relatives, researchers speculate that teasing and the cognitive skills behind it may trace back millions of years to our last common ancestor with modern apes.
Understanding Social Dynamics
Dr. Marina Davila-Ross, an expert in the evolution of communication, emphasizes that teasing can provide crucial information about social hierarchies and relationships within primate groups. When one ape teases another and receives no response, it signals the boundaries of social interaction, contributing to the establishment of hierarchies within the group.
In conclusion, this study sheds light on the playful and sometimes complex social behaviors exhibited by young great apes. By exploring these behaviors, researchers gain valuable insights into the cognitive and social dynamics of our closest primate relatives.
The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, underscores the importance of continued research to unravel the mysteries of primate behavior and evolution.
Laumer, I. B., Winkler, S. L., Rossano, F., & Cartmill, E. A. (2024). Spontaneous playful teasing in four great ape species. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 291(2016). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2345