WEST AFRICAN CHIMPS: CULTURE
NEWS: West Africa chimps are losing their culture, in another human legacy
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?
Scientists from the Taï Chimpanzee Project have discovered four distinct mating dialects used by male chimpanzees in West Africa, highlighting the presence of animal culture shaped by social learning. However, human threats and demographic loss are causing these cultural behaviours to disappear, raising urgent conservation concerns.
Chimpanzee Dialects and Their Cultural Significance
• In a recent landmark study, scientists from the Taï Chimpanzee Project in West Africa observed that male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Taï National Park use four unique dialects to attract mates.
• This finding adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that non-human primates possess culture, especially when it comes to social communication and mating behaviours.
• The study is significant as community-specific dialects had been rarely recorded in wild primates until now.
The Four Distinct Mating Dialects Identified
1. Heel Kick:
• The chimpanzee lifts a foot and kicks against a hard surface like a tree trunk or rock to make a sharp, resonant noise.
• This is a form of non-vocal signalling that captures the attention of potential mates.
• Observed in: North, South, Northeast, and East chimpanzee groups.
2. Knuckle Knock:
• The chimpanzee quietly knocks their knuckles repeatedly on a hard surface.
• This behaviour is subtle but deliberate, signaling intent without aggression.
• Observed only in: Northeast group, indicating community-specific use.
3. Leaf Clip:
• The chimp bites a green leaf and tears it into strips without eating it, producing a ripping or shredding sound.
• This sound is believed to signal sexual or social intent.
• Observed in: North, South, and Northeast groups.
4. Branch Shake:
• A chimp grabs a branch and violently shakes it, producing both visual and auditory signals.
• Used to draw attention from females and assert presence.
• Observed in: North, South, and Northeast groups.
Scientific Implication: Cultural Behaviour in Primates
• These dialects demonstrate that chimpanzees create and transmit behavioural customs, which are not genetically hardwired but rather socially learned.
• Such variation in mating signals across communities suggests the presence of animal culture, a concept once believed to be exclusive to humans.
Demography’s Role in Cultural Continuity
• Demography (population structure and survival) plays a crucial role in preserving or losing culture.
• Example: In the North group, the knuckle knock dialect disappeared over 20 years, corresponding with major population loss in that group.
• This shows that cultural behaviours can vanish if the bearers die out, much like human traditions.
Social Learning and Local Norms
• While some gestures in chimpanzees are inherited across subspecies, individuals still choose gestures based on community use and social learning.
• The same gesture may exist across groups, but usage patterns and contextual meaning can differ.
• This suggests a capacity for group identity, cultural boundaries, and in-group preference.
Comparative Behaviour: Taï vs Sonso Chimps
• Researchers compared the Taï chimpanzees with the Sonso chimpanzees in Uganda’s Budongo Forest.
• Key differences:
Taï chimpanzees use knuckle knock and rarely leaf clip.
Sonso chimpanzees prefer object slap (slapping objects with an open hand) and frequently use leaf clipping.
• These contrasts highlight regional cultural evolution in chimpanzee populations.
Threat of Cultural Loss Due to Human Activity
• Human-induced threats are accelerating the loss of chimpanzee dialects and traditions.
• Habitat destruction, illegal logging, and poaching are killing not only chimpanzees but their cultural knowledge.
• Chimpanzees are captured for the pet trade, bushmeat, and are displaced from traditional lands, leading to cultural amnesia.
Understanding Animal Culture
• Animal culture refers to learned behaviour passed across generations through observation and imitation.
• Cultural traits include:
1. Foraging techniques.
2. Tool use (like cracking nuts).
3. Mating rituals.
4. Communication gestures.
• Dialects are the community-specific communication patterns within these cultures.
Examples from Other Animal Species
• Other animals known for cultural traditions include:
1. Humpback whales: Learn songs that differ by region.
2. Orcas: Learn specific hunting techniques and prey preferences.
3. Bighorn sheep: Pass down migration routes socially.
4. Elephants: Teach water-finding strategies and herd movements.
• These behaviours are not innate but taught and preserved within communities.
Conservation Bodies Recognizing Animal Culture
• IUCN now includes animal culture as a conservation metric in its Red List assessments.
• CMS COP13 became the first global agreement to link animal culture to species protection.
• This recognition elevates social learning and tradition as factors in species survival.
Why Animal Culture Must Be Preserved
• Adaptation Advantage: Animals with rich cultural practices are more flexible and innovative, helping them adapt to changing environments.
• Knowledge Reservoir: Elders store vital ecological and behavioural knowledge that they pass on—like where to find food or how to respond to danger.
• Species Resilience: Cultural continuity ensures better reproductive success and group stability.
• Example: Deaths of elders have outsized effects on cultural animals, as noted in a 2024 Science paper.
Conserving Cultural Knowledge in Practice
• Protection strategies should include:
Safeguarding knowledge bearers (e.g., matriarchs, dominant males).
Allowing intergenerational learning to take place undisturbed.
• It's as important to preserve teachers of animal culture as it is to protect habitats.
Ecological and Evolutionary Importance
• Cultural diversity acts as ecological insurance—if one behavioural solution fails, others exist.
• Understanding cultural differences between species offers insights into:
Evolution of intelligence.
Development of complex societies.
Comparisons between humans and non-human animals.
Major Threats to Animal Culture
1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation:
• Disrupts territorial traditions, mating rituals, and social structures.
2. Human Disruption:
• Noise and light pollution interfere with communication and group behaviour.
• Example: Southern Right Whales lost migration route knowledge after 1800s commercial whaling.
3. Climate Change:
• Alters food patterns, migratory routes, and predator behaviour.
• Makes traditional knowledge obsolete or unusable, causing cultural breakdown.
Conclusion: Culture-Based Conservation is the Future
• Chimpanzee dialects show that animals possess complex cultures, just like humans.
• Conservation must go beyond protecting species and land—it must protect knowledge, behaviour, and social learning.
• The loss of cultural traditions poses a silent but serious threat to species survival.
• Policy, research, and public awareness must now evolve to treat animal culture as a vital component of biodiversity.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/west-africa-chimpanzee-dialect-loss-culture-habitat/article69407565.ece