ABSTRACT

Common chimpanzees are distinguished from gorillas by molecular evidence and by physical traits. The descriptions of primate behavior are arranged under these headings: ecology, sociality, life cycle, culture and cognition. Common chimpanzee communities display high levels of temporal variation in spatial cohesion, party size, and party composition. Choruses of pant hooting represented male bonds. A male was more likely to join in if the originator was a long-term associate. Pant hooting also reflected short-term relationships. Two males were more likely to chorus together on days when they engaged in some mutual activity, such as grooming or a coalition. Chorusing might play a causal role in affiliation. Common chimpanzees provide strong evidence for complex cognitive abilities such as Theory of Mind. Research in western Africa suggests some major regional differences in common chimpanzee behavior. Some primatologists use the behavior of savanna common chimpanzees as a model for the adaptations of early hominins.