Chimpanzees In Uganda Locked In Vicious 'Civil War', Say Researchers (bbc.com) 42
Researchers say the world's largest known wild chimpanzee community in Uganda fractured into rival factions and has been locked in a vicious "civil war" for the last eight years. "It is not clear exactly why the once close-knit community of Ngogo chimpanzees at Uganda's Kibale National Park are at loggerheads, but since 2018 the scientists have recorded 24 killings, including 17 infants," reports the BBC. From the report: [O]ver several decades, [lead author Aaron Sandel] said the nearly 200 Ngogo chimpanzees had lived in harmony. There were divided into two sets - known to researchers as Western and Central - but they had existed overall as a cohesive group. Sandel said he first noticed them polarizing in June 2015, when the Western chimpanzees ran away and were chased by the Central group. "Chimpanzees are sort of melodramatic," he said, explaining that following arguments there would ordinarily be "screaming and chasing" and then later, they would grooming and co-operating.
But following the 2015 dispute, the researchers saw that there was a six-week avoidance period between the two sets, with interactions becoming more infrequent. When they did occur, Sandel said they were "a little more intense, a little more aggressive." Following the emergence of the two distinct groups in 2018, members of the Western group started attacking the Central chimpanzees. In 24 targeted attacks since the split, at least seven adult males and 17 infants from the Central chimps have been killed, the study found, although the researchers believe the actual number of deaths are higher. The researchers believe many factors such as the group size and subsequent competition of resources, and "male-male competition" for reproducing may be to blame.
But they say there were three likely catalysts:
- The first, were the deaths of five adult males and one adult female -- for reasons unknown -- in 2014, which could have disrupted social networks and weakened social ties across the subgroups
- The following year, there was a change in the alpha male, which the study says coincided with the first period of separation between the Western and Central groups. "Changes in the dominance hierarchy can increase aggression and avoidance in chimpanzees," it explained
- The third factor was the deaths of 25 chimpanzees, including four adult males and 10 adult females, as a result of a respiratory epidemic, in 2017, a year before the final separation. One of the adult males who died was "among the last individuals to connect the groups," the research paper said. The study has been published in the journal Science.
But following the 2015 dispute, the researchers saw that there was a six-week avoidance period between the two sets, with interactions becoming more infrequent. When they did occur, Sandel said they were "a little more intense, a little more aggressive." Following the emergence of the two distinct groups in 2018, members of the Western group started attacking the Central chimpanzees. In 24 targeted attacks since the split, at least seven adult males and 17 infants from the Central chimps have been killed, the study found, although the researchers believe the actual number of deaths are higher. The researchers believe many factors such as the group size and subsequent competition of resources, and "male-male competition" for reproducing may be to blame.
But they say there were three likely catalysts:
- The first, were the deaths of five adult males and one adult female -- for reasons unknown -- in 2014, which could have disrupted social networks and weakened social ties across the subgroups
- The following year, there was a change in the alpha male, which the study says coincided with the first period of separation between the Western and Central groups. "Changes in the dominance hierarchy can increase aggression and avoidance in chimpanzees," it explained
- The third factor was the deaths of 25 chimpanzees, including four adult males and 10 adult females, as a result of a respiratory epidemic, in 2017, a year before the final separation. One of the adult males who died was "among the last individuals to connect the groups," the research paper said. The study has been published in the journal Science.
Monkey see, monkey do, monkey pee all over you (Score:5, Insightful)
2015 huh? Maybe the chimps watch FOX News?
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2015 huh? Maybe the chimps watch FOX News?
Actually, the part that's kind of frightening is that chimps share about 98.8% of their DNA with humans and they didn't even need a 24/7 rage bait news cycle to be convinced that their neighbors are their enemies.
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the part that's kind of frightening is that this is actually a unique and very worth reading study observing about 20 years of behavior that apparently not one of you deranged primates here has deemed worth reading. :o)
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Finally the UN peacekeepers can do something (Score:1)
The UN can send in a couple thousand peacekeeper troops, send in conflict mediation experts and psychological counselors .....
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It seems to me that MSNBC created more of an "us vs. them" mentality over the last decade
I don't know how you managed to watch either of those. Cable TV (linear TV) is dead.
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Yeah, could be, could be. They looked at an environment where Fox was knocking it out of the park, and The Supremes determinated that news is entertainment, and doesn't have to be factual. As humans tend to do, they either look for a counter, or decide to adapt to the new environment.
quick, give the ones we like guns! (Score:2, Troll)
It's an American tradition!
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Re: And here it is for the troll who has trolled (Score:1)
News for Nerds (Score:5, Funny)
Put this in terms of the vi/emacs war and perhaps some of us might understand.
Re:News for Nerds (Score:5, Funny)
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If only I had mod points to give you!
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Me and the boys
You and the boys should get a room.
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Where do you think he learned about penis birds?
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tabs versus spaces?
I think vi vs. emacs is settled since we have vim!
Well, they _are_ our closest relatives ... (Score:2)
... so excess aggression and eternal grudges might just be their thing. Perhaps. Maybe that area is their equivalent of our middle east or something?
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That is a bit misanthropic. Humans have achieved a scale of cooperation orders of magnitude beyond any other species.
Though you don't have to got back too far for when we had extended family structures like the chimps, that were subject to long-running blood feuds.
It was common in hunter-gatherers, and I'm sure still happens in some rural or tribal areas outside of government control. We are repressed chimps, but maybe that's good.
Re:Well, they _are_ our closest relatives ... (Score:5, Insightful)
That is a bit misanthropic. Humans have achieved a scale of cooperation orders of magnitude beyond any other species.
And also a scale of warfare orders of magnitude beyond any other species.
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And also a scale of warfare orders of magnitude beyond any other species.
That's just utter nonsense, showing narrow thinking or unawareness. Obviously if you define "warfare" as how modern man resolves conflict when bargaining fails, you won't see it in mice.
Most of us are barely affected now by war. I've changed travel plans a few times, but thats about it.
Meanwhile, warfare is omnipresent at the microscopic level. A constant struggle of life an death under our feet, that we rarely notice. Or even at the macro.
Few species have such low rates of violent death, and high rates
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Did anyone give them smartphones with social media (Score:2)
Otters Do This (Score:3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
But I don't think it is a civil war as it is a large family expanding (not formerly cohesive factions).
French Revolution jazz (Score:3, Interesting)
A few alpha males kept the group unified. These got killed, and then the commoners took over. A big mistake.
Astronauts are landing during a monkey civil war? (Score:5, Funny)
I've seen that movie.
https://x.com/CleanComedian69/... [x.com]
TACO chimps (Score:1)
"Chimpanzees are sort of melodramatic," he said, explaining that following arguments there would ordinarily be "screaming and chasing" and then later, they would grooming and co-operating.
TACO chimps always chicken out.
Find the monolith (Score:3)
All war is for control of land and resources (Score:3)
Not my jungle (Score:2)
Not my monkeys.