Bonobos Form Strategic Alliances Like Humans, Study Finds

The research challenges the belief that cooperation between unrelated individuals across groups is uniquely human.

Bonobos, a species of great apes, have been observed forming strategic alliances and sharing resources with individuals outside their family group, challenging the notion that such behavior is uniquely human.
The research, conducted by Harvard University and the German Primate Centre, studied 31 adult bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo over two years.
Unlike chimpanzees, which are known to be hostile to other groups, bonobos displayed remarkable levels of tolerance and cooperation with members of different groups.
The study found that bonobos preferentially interact with specific members of other groups who are more likely to reciprocate, resulting in strong ties between pro-social individuals.
The findings suggest that cooperation between unrelated individuals across groups without immediate payoff is not exclusive to humans and can emerge in the absence of social norms or strong cultural dispositions.