Just like humans, great apes play pranks on their peers

Human babies from the age of eight months are capable of jokingly provoking and older apes They seem to have the same behavior of playfully teasing their peers.

A team of researchers discovered that orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas engaged in intentionally provocative behaviors, often accompanied by characteristics of play, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences.

LOOK: Waru Waru: a pre-Hispanic technique from the Andes against the climate crisis

Is about spontaneous social interactions that seem playful, slightly harassing, or provocative, such as lightly hitting another and running away to stare at them or bother them while they are doing an activity.

Experts led by the University of Los Angeles in California (USA) observed the actions, body movements and facial expressions of the provocateur, and how the victims of the teasing responded.

They also assessed the intentionality of the provocateur by looking for evidence that the behavior was directed at a specific goal, that it persisted or intensified, and that it awaited a response.

A juvenile orangutan pulls its mother’s hair. Human babies from the age of eight months are capable of teasing and the great apes seem to have the same behavior of playfully teasing their peers. A team of researchers discovered that orangutans, chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas engaged in intentionally provocative behaviors, often accompanied by characteristics of play, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences. EFE/BOS Foundation BPI / EDITORIAL USE ONLY/ONLY AVAILABLE TO ILLUSTRATE THE ACCOMPANYING NEWS (MANDATORY CREDIT) (EFE Agency/)

Just like the joking behavior of humans, The apes’ pranks are provocative, persistent, and include elements of surprise and play..

Having observed these jokes with a touch of provocation in those four species it is possible that cognitive requirements may have been present in our last common ancestorat least 13 million years ago, researchers estimate.

Furthermore, they consider that, since language is not necessary for this behavior, it is possible that other animals have similar practices.

LOOK: First in vitro fertilization of a white rhinoceros, an advance to save the species

“Great apes are excellent candidates for playful teasing because they are closely related to us, they participate in social games, they laugh, and they show a relatively sophisticated understanding of the expectations of others,” said Isabelle Laumer of the University of California in Los Angeles (USA) and signatory of the study.

The team identified 18 such behaviors, many of which seemed to be used to provoke a response or, at least, to attract the target’s attention, the Max Planck Institute (Germany) said in a statement.

The provocateurs often repeatedly waved or swung a body part or object in the target’s field of vision, hit or poked the target, stared at the target’s face, interrupted the target’s movements, pulled the target’s hair, or engaged in other behaviors that They were extremely difficult for the target to ignore.

Although these provocative pranks took many forms, the authors determine that they differed from gambling in several ways.

“In great apes, playful teasing is unilateral, coming largely from the teaser, often throughout the interaction, and It is rarely reciprocal.”highlighted Erica Cartmill, from the University of California.

These behaviors occurred mainly when the apes were relaxedand shared similarities with human behaviors.

The first forms of playful teasing in human beings arise from eight months of age, when the baby offers an object to its parents and then removes it from the hand, violates certain social norms (what is called provocative non-compliance) and disrupts activities. of others.

Great field primatologists such as Jane Goodall had already mentioned similar behaviors in chimpanzees many years ago, but this new study, according to its authors, is the first to systematically study teasing and playful provocations.

Laumer hopes this work will lead other researchers to study these types of multifaceted behaviors in more species to better understand their evolution.

Additionally, they hope it will “increase awareness of the similarities” shared with our closest relatives and “the importance of protecting these endangered animals.”

Source: Elcomercio