Peacefulness Bonobo

bonobo (pan paniscus) mother , infant @ lola ya bonobo

observations in wild indicate males among related common chimpanzee communities hostile males outside community. parties of males patrol neighboring males might traveling alone, , attack single males, killing them. not appear behavior of bonobo males or females, seem prefer sexual contact on violent confrontation outsiders. in fact, japanese scientists have spent time working wild bonobos describe species extraordinarily peaceful, , de waal has documented how bonobos may resolve conflicts sexual contact (hence make love, not war characterization species). between groups, social mingling may occur, in members of different communities have sex , groom each other, behavior unheard of among common chimpanzees. conflict still possible between rival groups of bonobos, no official scientific reports of exist. ranges of bonobos , chimpanzees separated congo river, bonobos living south of it, , chimpanzees north. has been hypothesized bonobos able live more peaceful lifestyle in part because of abundance of nutritious vegetation in natural habitat, allowing them travel , forage in large parties.

recent studies show there significant brain differences between bonobos , chimps. brain anatomy of bonobos has more developed , larger regions assumed vital feeling empathy, sensing distress in others , feeling anxiety, makes them less aggressive , more empathic close relatives. have thick connection between amygdala, important area can spark aggression, , ventral anterior cingulate cortex, helps control impulses. thicker connection may make them better @ regulating emotional impulses , behavior.

bonobo society dominated females, , severing lifelong alliance between mothers , male offspring may make them vulnerable female aggression. de waal has warned of danger of romanticizing bonobos: animals competitive nature , cooperative under specific circumstances , when first writing behaviour, spoke of sex peace precisely because bonobos had plenty of conflicts. there no need peacemaking if lived in perfect harmony.

surbeck , hohmann showed in 2008 bonobos hunt monkey species. 5 incidents observed in group of bonobos in salonga national park, seemed reflect deliberate cooperative hunting. on 3 occasions, hunt successful, , infant monkeys captured , eaten.