I'll be responding shortly but in the meantime here's an article from the NYTimes that bears directly on point, I think. If not it's still a damned interesting read. Turns out the opening scenes of 2001: A Space Odessy are now even more likely.
Chimps, Too, Wage War and Annex Rival Territory http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/science/22chimp.html?src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fscience%2Findex.jsonp
