In the video: Chimpanzees in a nature reserve in Gabon were recorded treating each other's wounds with insects (Photo: Alessandra Mascaro/ Ozouga CP)
We all know that raising teenagers is not easy, but a statement from a new study surprised us too: according to a study by the American Psychological Association published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, young chimpanzees may not be so different from the teenagers living in our homes.
Except our teenagers may be more impulsive.
Researchers worked with 40 wild-born chimpanzees while at a sanctuary in the Republic of Congo, playing games that tested the young animals' attitudes toward risk-taking and impulsivity.
"Human adolescents are dealing with a changing body and mind, and tend to be more impulsive, risk-seeking, and less able to regulate emotions than adults," lead study author Dr. Alexandra Rossetti, a professor of psychology and anthropology at the University of Michigan, told CNN in an interview. "Chimpanzees are dealing with a lot From the same kinds of challenges as humans when they grow up," she added.
Change in hormones, aggression and competition
The study described chimpanzees' puberty as a period from about age 8 to 15, in a 50-year lifespan.
Like young humans, they experience rapid hormonal changes, new social relationships, increased aggression, and competition for social status.
"Studies ignore adolescent chimpanzees compared to infants and adults," said Dr. Aaron Sandel, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin, who was not involved in the current study. that researchers often don't focus on this period.
The new study found that adolescent chimpanzees are more likely to take risks in their games than adults, but they will equally wait for a later reward. Human teenagers, on the other hand, are more likely to receive a smaller but faster reward, the study noted.
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Like raising a teenager at home.
Chimpanzee (Photo: GettyImages)
The chimpanzees underwent two tests with food reward.
After the researchers discovered that they tend to dislike cucumbers, somewhat like peanuts and really like bananas, they decided to take a small gamble.
Both adult and young chimpanzees were asked to choose between two containers: one that always contained peanuts, and another that contained a valuable cucumber or banana.
The adolescent chimpanzees were more likely to take a risk and go for the cucumber or banana container than the adults.
Both groups showed similar negative responses—such as moaning, whimpering, screaming, and banging on the table—when they were eventually given a cucumber.
The second test is similar to a known test given to human children.
The chimpanzees had the option of receiving one slice of banana immediately or waiting a minute and then receiving three slices.
Both adults and teenagers waited for the three slices at a similar rate, but the young had more tantrums while waiting a minute, the study said.
In a similar test, human teenagers were more likely to take the small treat more immediately, according to the study.
"Previous work indicates that chimpanzees are quite patient compared to other animals, and this study shows that their ability to delay gratification is already mature at a fairly young age, unlike humans," the researchers concluded.
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