By Will DunhamWASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) – Bonobos for years have had the reputation of being the cool hippies of the simian world, with a “make love, not war” ethos, in contrast to their belligerent cousins, the chimpanzees. But is this reputation valid? A new study suggests it is not.Researchers tabulated aggressive behavior such as charging, hitting, biting, slapping, kicking and trampling among 22 groups of bonobos and chimpanzees – the two species that are the closest genetic relatives of humans – at 16 European zoos. The statistics showed no difference between bonobos and chimpanzees in the rate of aggressive behavior – contact or noncontact.AdvertisementAdvertisementBut there was a striking difference in the targeting of the aggressive behavior, driven by dynamics specific to each species.Among chimpanzees, aggressive behavior primarily came from males, and was directed at both males and females. But female bonobos were found to be far more aggressive than female chimpanzees. Among bonobos, aggressive behavior came from both females and males, and was primarily directed at males.”Regarding the dominance system, chimpanzees are patriarchal. Males associate with one another – in conflict within the group and against other communities of chimpanzees – and struggle for dominance with one another,” said Emile Bryon, a doctoral student in animal behavior and cognition at Utrecht Universit …
