Group-specific expressions of co-feeding tolerance in bonobos and chimpanzees preclude dichotomous species generalizations.

ABSTRACT: Bonobos are typically portrayed as more socially tolerant than chimpanzees, yet the current evidence supporting such a species-level categorization is equivocal. Here, we used validated group-level co-feeding assays to systematically test expressions of social tolerance in sixteen groups of zoo- and sanctuary-housed bonobos and chimpanzees. We found that co-feeding tolerance substantially overlaps between the species, thus precluding categorical inference at the species level. Instead, marked differences were observed between groups, with some bonobo communities exhibiting higher social tolerance than chimpanzee communities, and vice versa. Moreover, considerable intergroup variation was found within species living in the same environment, which attests to Pan's behavioral flexibili

SUBMITTER: van Leeuwen EJC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10746535 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature