ABSTRACT
Currently bonobos are all included in the single species Pan paniscus, the smallest great apes, that display moderate sexual dimorphism. They live in fission-fusion societies and share food in complex ways. The descriptions of primate behavior are arranged under four headings: ecology, sociality, life cycle, and cognition. Higher levels of female cohesiveness can partly explain bonobo party size in proximal. Male infants display penile erections as early as six months old and begin sexual behavior within the first year. Since sociosexual behavior occurred more often during food tests, it may have resulted from positive arousal due to the food. Juveniles also beg from other adults, but with little success, perhaps as part of establishing social relationships. The implicated brain structures include several that are traditionally considered part of the limbic system or the so-called emotional brain. Bonobos are characterized by more frequent bonding among unrelated females, more complex male-female dominance patterns, less mating competition, and social use of sexuality.
