Chimpanzee News and Research

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Complete Reference Genomes Unlocked for Six Ape Species

Comprehensive reference genomes have now been assembled for six ape species: siamang (a Southeast Asian gibbon), Sumatran orangutan, Bornean orangutan, gorilla, bonobo and chimpanzee.

12 Apr 2025

Dual Gene Role in Brain Progenitor Cell Dynamics

Scientists have uncovered a crucial genetic mechanism that plays a key role in the development and evolution of the human brain.

27 Mar 2025

‘Genetic Time Machine’ Uncovers the History of Sophisticated Chimpanzee Cultures

Associate Professor Federico Battiston and PhD Student Onkar Sadekar, both researchers from the Department of Network and Data Science at Central European University (CEU), contributed to research on chimpanzee culture with their network analysis insights.

24 Mar 2025

Study Reveals How Evolving DNA Powers Human Brain Development

A study of artificial human and chimpanzee nerve cells revealed how faster-evolving DNA gives neurons the ability to build increasingly complex brain power.

27 Feb 2025

Chimpanzees Show Early Stages of Cumulative Cultural Development

Chimpanzees are known for their remarkable intelligence and use of tools, but could their cultures also evolve over time like human cultures?

28 Nov 2024

Chimpanzee connections: How grooming and play foster social bonds

In a recent article, researchers explored behavioral contagion of grooming and play in chimpanzees, highlighting the influence of social bonds and developmental factors on affiliative behaviors.

27 Nov 2024

Genetic Study Reveals Vulnerability of Bonobos

Bonobos, endangered great apes that are among our closest relatives, might be more vulnerable than previously understood, finds a genetics study led by a UCL researcher that reveals three distinct populations.

17 Oct 2024

New Model Reveals Underlying Similarity in Mammalian Brain Shapes

A novel method for characterizing the cerebral cortex's shape has been devised by researchers, who also present evidence that cortices in all mammalian species share a common, fractal design.

31 Jul 2024

Wild Chimpanzees Found to Consume Medicinal Plants to Combat Illness

Researchers from Africa and Europe observed habituated chimpanzee communities to understand this potentially self-medicating behavior.

26 Jun 2024

Male Bonobos Found to Be More Aggressive Than Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees and bonobos are often thought to reflect two different sides of human nature-;the conflict-ready chimpanzee versus the peaceful bonobo-;but a new study publishing April 12 in the journal Current Biology shows that, within their own communities, male bonobos are more frequently aggressive than male chimpanzees.

15 Apr 2024

Unveiling the Diversity and Evolutionary Dynamics of Centromeres Across Primates

A genomic study of human and selected nonhuman primate centromeres has revealed their unimaginable diversity and speed of evolutionary change.

4 Apr 2024

Study Investigates Links Between Gene Expression and Primate Brain Evolution

An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently published the results of a first-of-its-kind study investigating the links between gene expression and brain evolution across 18 primate species.

1 Apr 2024

Novel Insights Into Multimodal Communication Development in Young Chimpanzees

Young chimpanzees combine different gestures, vocalizations and facial expressions in a way which echoes the development of communication in human infants, according to new research.

7 Jun 2023

Study Offers New Insight into Genetic Factors Behind Premature Delivery and Gestational Duration

New knowledge of the genetic factors behind premature delivery and gestational duration has now emerged.

4 Apr 2023

Novel genetics tool for mining impact assessment and biomonitoring of endangered chimpanzees

The western chimpanzees of Guinea are threatened by mining activities. Using a novel genetic approach, UZH researchers and an international team have collected information on population size and community structure of the endangered species.

17 Mar 2023

Study uncovers differences in how AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines affect the immune system

A new Australian study led by SAHMRI and Flinders University has uncovered fundamental differences in how the AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines impact the immune system.

23 Feb 2023

Fastest-evolved regions of the human genome diverged rapidly after split from chimpanzee ancestor

A team of Duke researchers has identified a group of human DNA sequences driving changes in brain development, digestion and immunity that seem to have evolved rapidly after our family line split from that of the chimpanzees, but before we split with the Neanderthals.

24 Nov 2022

Human-specific gene involves in neocortical expansion during evolution

Great ape animal experiments have long been prohibited in Europe due to ethical concerns. An alternative to using animals in investigations is the use of organoids, which are three-dimensional cell structures that can be generated in the lab and are only a few millimeters in size.

From The Max Planck Institute 14 Sep 2022

Study shows how genetic database offers strong implications for chimpanzee conservation

Chimpanzees live in the savannahs and forests of tropical Africa. In contrast to the hominid sites that have been preserved to this day—mostly in caves and temperate climates—chimpanzee habitats have produced few specimens that have been preserved or discovered in the archaeological record.

2 Jun 2022

Edinburgh scientists solve century-old evolutionary puzzle about malaria parasites

Scientists have solved a 100-year-old mystery about the evolutionary links between malaria parasites that infect humans and chimpanzees.

7 Apr 2022