Web address:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/
110127160441.htm
Do Chimpanzees Mourn Their Dead Infants?
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Chimpanzee mothers' behaviour at her dead infant. (Credit: Image courtesy of
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics)
ScienceDaily (Feb. 2, 2011) For the first time, researchers of the Max Planck
Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands report in detail how a
chimpanzee mother responds to the death of her infant. The chimpanzee mother
shows behaviours not typically seen directed toward live infants, such as
placing her fingers against the neck and laying the infant's body on the ground
to watch it from a distance. The observations of Katherine Cronin and her team
provide unique insights into how chimpanzees, one of humans' closest primate
relatives, learn about death.
Their commentary appears online in the American Journal of Primatology.
The research team conducted their observations at Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage
Trust in Zambia, where wild-born chimpanzees who have been rescued from illegal
trade live in the largest social groups and enclosures in the world. Dr.
Katherine Cronin and Edwin Van Leeuwen of the Max Planck Institute for
Psycholinguistics collaborated with Innocent Chitalu Mulenga of Chimfunshi and
Dr. Mark Bodamer, a professor of Psychology at Gonzaga University in Washington
State, USA.
Close relationship
Chimpanzee mothers typically are in close contact with their offspring for
several years, carrying them almost continuously for two years and nursing
until they are four to six years old. The close relationship between the mother
and offspring continues for several years after weaning, and is one of the most
important relationships in chimpanzee life.
Premature death
Cronin and her colleagues observed the behaviour that a female chimpanzee
expressed toward her 16-month-old infant who had recently died. After carrying
the infant's dead body for more than a day, the mother laid the body out on the
ground in a clearing and repeatedly approached the body and held her fingers
against the infant's face and neck for multiple seconds. She remained near the
body for nearly an hour, then carried it over to a group of chimpanzees and
watched them investigate the body. The next day, the mother was no longer
carrying the body of the infant.
Nearly nothing is known about how primates react to death of close individuals,
what they understand about death, and whether they mourn. The MPI researchers
therefore believe to have reported a unique transitional period as the mother
learned about the death of her infant, a process never before reported in
detail. But they largely refrain from interpretation, while providing extensive
video to allow viewers the opportunity to judge for themselves what chimpanzees
understand about death.
'The videos are extremely valuable, because they force one to stop and think
about what might be happening in the minds of other primates', Cronin says.
'Whether a viewer ultimately decides that the chimpanzee is mourning, or simply
curious about the corpse, is not nearly as important as people taking a moment
to consider the possibilities.'
Mother-infant bond
Previous reports have documented chimpanzee mothers carrying their deceased
young for days or weeks, demonstrating that the severing of the mother-infant
bond is incredibly difficult for chimpanzees. The current research complements
these observations and sheds new light on how chimpanzees might learn about
death.
'These data contribute to a small but growing body of data on how nonhuman
primates respond to death. We hope these objective accounts will continue to
accumulate and eventually allow researchers to take a comprehensive look at the
extent to which nonhuman primate understand death, and how they respond to it.'
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily
staff) from materials provided by Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics.
Journal Reference:
1. Katherine A. Cronin, Edwin J.C. van Leeuwen, Innocent Chitalu Mulenga,
Mark D. Bodamer. Behavioral response of a chimpanzee mother toward her dead
infant. American Journal of Primatology, 2011; DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20927
Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the
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Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (2011, February 2). Do chimpanzees
mourn their dead infants?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 2, 2011, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/01/110127160441.htm
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of
ScienceDaily or its staff.
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