Chimpanzees

Species

Pan troglodytes
Scientific name

Sokwe Mtu
Swahili name

Gary Bisignano Rebecca Mendez Jessica Rayhel Elice Terry Mia Soueid Jackie Henriquez

Sensory systems & Specializations

Communication

Methods of Intraspecific Communication in Chimpanzees

While humans and primates share 99.9% of their genetic make-up, the one, most important, difference amongst the two species is the ability to communicate in a defined language. Even though chimps are not able to speak human language, they still have found a way to communicate things to one another. Chimpanzees use verbal communication, such as alarm calls, mating calls, and greeting vocalizations. So far, researchers have identified more than 30 different calls, which can sometimes be heard up to 2 miles away.

Vocal calls
When a monkey comes upon something particularly unusual or potentially dangerous, the chimp emits a savagesounding, WRAAAAAA to let the others know of the danger. Each individual has his or her own distinctive pant-hoot, so that the caller can be identified with precision When chimps find food, they began to make different types of grunts, barks and pant hoots in order to let others know the location of the food source. A special intensity of excited calls of this type indicates that there has been a successful kill after a hunt.

Postures and Body Gestures

Body contact is very important in maintaining social harmony in a chimpanzee community. Chimpanzees will often groom each other for hours. Grooming a way to maintain calmness and tranquility, while preserving close relationships. Male chimpanzees proclaim their dominance with spectacular charging displays during which they slap their hands, stamp with their feet, drag branches as they run, or hurl rocks. In doing so, they make themselves look as big and dangerous as they possibly can and indeed may eventually intimidate a higher-ranking individual without having to fight.

When greeting a dominant individual after an absence or in response to an aggressive gesture, nervous subordinates may approach with submissive signals crouching, presenting the rump, hold the hand outaccompanied by pant-grunts or squeaks. In response, the dominant individual is likely to make gestures of reassurance, such as touching, kissing, or embracing the subordinate.

If youve ever watched a monkey at the zoo, when they are afraid, chimpanzees often begin to grin. This grin, however, is not a happy grin but is instead known as the Grin of Fear. The Grin of Fear is often closely compared to a humans nervous smile when laughing at an awkward joke or feeling uncomfortable in a situation.

Habitat Selection

Tree and Ground dwellers

Chimps are usually found in tropical rainforest, woodlands, swamp and grassland in western Africa.

http://www.pridegorillasafaris.com/chimpsa fari_clip_image002.jpg

Chimps spend equal time in trees as they do on the ground. However, sleep and feeding are mostly done in the canopy above.
http://www.africanadventureexpeditions.com/images/Semliki%20NWRChimps.jpg

Jessicas Video from the zoo

Home Building
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Chimps will make a fresh sleeping nest each evening before bed. Theses nest are made of leaves and other plant materials. The only time a sleeping nest is shared is with a mother and her nursing you.

Comfortable enough for a scientist!

http://i.livescience.com/images/i/19689/iFF/Stewart-chimp-nest.jpg?1315330213

Home Range
Chimps live in one large area known as a home range. Most ranges will overlap with other groups because the range is so large, usually thousands of acres. Chimps live in family groups. The numbers can be anywhere from 40 or less to 200 or more. There is a dominant male that runs the group and will only put up with young males until 6 years of age.

Migration? Whats that?!

Because Chimps are much like humans they do not migrate nor do they hibernate. Only by choice or force (habitat destruction) will the Chimpanzee migrate to another location. They usually prefer to stay put in a general location.

http://images.sciencedaily.com/2009/10/091022122321-large.jpg

Feeding Behavior

What do Chimpanzees Eat?

Despite popular belief of Chimps being herbivores, it was discovered in the 60s by Dr. Jane Goodall that Chimps are actually omnivores. Their diet is 98% plants, fruits, and seeds, and 2% meat and insects. When chimps eat meat, the eat almost every part of their prey, including the brain.

The Hunt
Chimps may use thin sticks to fish termites out of their mounds. They also hunt and kill large animals. Hunting is a group effort. Some chimps block of all possible escape routes while the adolescent chimp captures the prey.

Intraspecific & Antipredator Defenses

Intraspecific Defenses
Function of aggression:
Gaining females by expanding territory Rival extermination Defending a feeding territory When groups meet attacks occur only sometimes Anyone can be attacked but females in heat Will attack females with infants and cannibalize the infant Lone individuals are at highest risk of attack

Antipredator Defenses
DISPLAYING: Defensive behavior in chimpanzees is portrayed through energetic displays Banging on objects, jumping, running and piloerection (fur on the body sticks out to make the chimp look larger and more intimidating)
VOCALIZING: Vocalizing is used to call one another Screaming and shrieking is used to frighten someone or something in order to defend itself HITTING: Chimps use fists to punch their enemy if the enemy is close enough BITING: Using sharp canines, they will successfully bite if threatened

WEAPON USE: Chimps have been observed defending themselves with weapons: throwing rocks and nuts, or swinging large branches to keep the enemies away

Social Organization

Parental Behavior
The majority of parental care is the responsibility of the mother. From birth up until 1 year of age, infant Chimpanzees are always with their mothers, and ride on their backs. At 2 years of age, they begin to travel and sit independently within 5 meters of their mothers. At 3 years of age, they start to venture farther than 5 meters of their mothers. Between 4 and 6 years of age, infancy ends with weaning. From ages 6 to 9, the Chimpanzees remain close to their mothers but play independently and have greater social interactions with other community members. The offspring benefit from a close relationship with their mothers in terms of food, warmth, protection, and the opportunity to learn skills that could help them with survival.

Mating
For chimpanzees, mating occurs throughout the year.

There are a few types of mating behaviors that they show:

1) Polyandry, where a female mates with multiple males. 2) Restrictive mating, where a male restricts other males from mating with estrous females in the community. 3) Consortship mating, where an adult pair leave the community for several days to weeks. 4) Extra Group mating, where females leave their communities and mate with males from nearby communities. By having multiple mating strategies, females can expand the pool of males from which they choose while not losing the important support of the males in their communities and it also maximizes the chances of males' reproductive success.

We encourage you to go see the movie Chimpanzee, its out NOW!

Our Resources
http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/chimpanzee/116 http://sitemaker.umich.edu/ling111ec/chimpanzees http://www.janegoodall.ca/about-chimp-behaviour-com http://science.jrank.org/pages/1419/Chimpanzees-Communication.html http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/chimpanzee/behav http://www.janegoodall.org/chimpanzees/tool-use-hunting-other-discoveries http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/apes/chimp/ http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engchimpanzee.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI5BjbI_IZ8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTkdVp9S00U http://www.google.com/images/chimpanzees