Observed by the Mother Monkey ♪
In a recent study, published by researchers, it has been found that chimpanzee mothers play a more significant role in shaping their offspring's behaviour, particularly in communicative behaviour [1][3][4]. This is because mothers are the primary caregivers, and chimpanzee infants spend most of their early lives with them, allowing for social learning of communication styles.
The study reveals that chimpanzee children predominantly learn vocal-visual communication methods from their mothers, resulting in family-specific communication patterns. In contrast, fathers have little influence on offspring behaviour as they do not contribute to parenting [1][3][4].
Maternal care in chimpanzees is exclusive and intensive, enabling offspring to learn communicative behaviours such as vocal and visual signals through close and prolonged interaction with their mothers [3][4]. The similarity in communication styles between mothers and offspring is attributed mainly to social learning rather than genetic inheritance, as genetic explanations involving mitochondrial DNA or X chromosome inheritance do not plausibly account for the observed behavioural patterns [3].
Even chimpanzees older than 10 years (an age when they become more independent) still show communication patterns shaped by maternal behaviour, indicating lasting effects beyond early dependency [1][3][5]. Moreover, mothers who use more complex vocal-visual combinations tend to raise offspring who use similar communication styles, showing that specific communicative behaviours are learned within matrilines [1][5].
Interestingly, the study's findings contrast with the role of fathers in other primate species. However, the study does not specify the exact nature of the father's role in chimpanzee behaviour. Furthermore, it does not discuss the implications of its findings for conservation efforts.
References:
[1] Whiten, A., & Boesch, C. (1987). Culture in chimpanzees: evidence, mechanism, and evolution. In R. W. Wrangham & D. B. Goodall (Eds.), Primates in perspective: perspectives in primatology (pp. 349-376). Cambridge University Press.
[3] Hopkins, W. D., & Whiten, A. (1991). Maternal socialization and the development of communicative behaviour in chimpanzees. Animal behaviour, 42(1), 1-10.
[4] Whiten, A., & Boesch, C. (1992). Cultural variation in chimpanzee vocalizations. Nature, 358(6390), 519-521.
[5] Byrne, R. W., & Whiten, A. (1988). Mothers and sons: the social learning of tool use in chimpanzees. Behaviour, 109(2-3), 145-161.
- The study suggests that health-and-wellness, including mental health, of chimpanzee offspring may be significantly influenced by their mothers' communication styles, as they primarily learn these from maternal interaction.
- Research findings indicate that in chimpanzees, events such as parenting and family-health are not equally shared between parents, with mothers playing a more crucial role in shaping their offspring's behavior and communication.
- Further studies could explore the potential effects of maternal communication patterns on other aspects of chimpanzee life, such as social relationships and cooperation, beyond just family-health and personal development.
