Chimpanzees Exhibit Contagious Urination, Study Finds

Research at Kyoto University reveals that urination among chimps is influenced by proximity and social hierarchy, offering insights into group dynamics.

A study of 20 captive chimpanzees at Japan's Kumamoto Sanctuary documented over 1,300 urination events across 600 hours of observation.
Chimpanzees were more than twice as likely to urinate within 60 seconds of another chimp if they were physically close to the initial urinator.
Lower-ranking chimps were found to be more likely to follow others’ urination, indicating a link between social hierarchy and this behavior.
The researchers suggest that contagious urination may play roles in group cohesion, social bonding, or even anti-predator strategies by concentrating scent marking.
This is the first documented case of contagious urination in any species, with parallels drawn to similar contagious behaviors like yawning and scratching.