Hunting is for Girls—at Least Among Bonobos
They out-hunt their male counterparts The post Hunting is for Girls—at Least Among Bonobos appeared first on Nautilus .
Bonobos, often considered the more matriarchal and cooperative species among great apes, have a reputation for being less violent than their chimpanzee relatives. The Congo River, which separated their habitats around 1.5 to 2 million years ago, played a significant role in shaping their evolutionary paths. While chimpanzees north of the river adapted an omnivorous diet due to competition with gorillas, bonobos to the south thrived in a gorilla-free environment, leading to a more fruit-based diet.
However, hunting remains a part of bonobo life, and a recent study published in the journal Current Biology reveals that females are primarily responsible for the success of these hunts. Primatologists from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior observed two bonobo communities over a decade, documenting 415 prey captures. The study found that female bonobos were involved in 60 percent of successful hunts, often initiating them without resorting to stealing from males.
Even while carrying infants, female bonobos actively participated in hunting, particularly targeting agile arboreal monkeys like the red colobus. Although older females preferred smaller terrestrial prey like antelopes, their involvement in hunts was crucial in establishing a dominant role for females within the bonobo social structure, similar to male chimpanzees.
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