In other situations, the adopted young fare well in the care of older adults. If a sibling who adopts the infant/child is too young and unable to provide nutrition and proper care, the infant can die as well. 9 Some very young chimpanzees have been known to die of grief when their mother dies. If a chimpanzee's mother falls ill, older siblings or other females in the group will tend to the sick mother's child. 9 (To read how this contrasts sharply with breeding in labs, read Lab Life Traumas.) Most free-living chimpanzee mothers have only about three children in their lifetime twins are rare. Babies are not weaned until they are about five years old and remain close to their mothers for the first decade of their lives. Because chimpanzees give birth once every five or six years, mothers can nurture and teach their children intimately. Occasionally, females will migrate to mate but return to their natal group. Upon reaching sexual maturity, females migrate to neighboring communities while males stay in their natal group. Mothers and sons typically have lifelong bonds, as do other individuals within an extended social group. In one instance, a young male named Sniff adopted his baby sister after their mother's death. 9 Jane Goodall, the famous primatologist, noted this on many occasions. If a mother is injured or dies, others will take on the role of caregiver. Infant chimpanzees are reared by their mothers and have close relationships with related females and older siblings, who often share their care. In the wild, female chimpanzees typically give birth only once every five years, usually to one baby. 3Ĭhimpanzees and humans both reach sexual maturity in their early teens. 1,2 They have a fission-fusion social organization in which they break off into smaller interchangeable groups and periodically come together. The hunter-gatherer lifestyle of early human communities is thought to resemble that of chimpanzees. They live in extended family groups of as many as 20-120 individuals. Family Lifeįamily relationships are vital to chimpanzees. Their needs in these areas contrast sharply with the barren and often isolated lives so many lived in U.S. What follows are astounding details of their family life, distinctive culture, and social interaction. Chimpanzees' complex family and social interactions are essential to them.
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