Bonobos in Congo form girl groups to fend off male aggression, study says

This representation provided by Martin Surbeck shows a pistillate bonobo being groomed by different successful the Congo successful 2020. (Martin Surbeck/Kokolopori Bonobo Research Project via AP)

Martin Surbeck/AP

This representation provided by Martin Surbeck shows bonobos lounging connected a fallen histrion successful the Congo successful 2020. (Martin Surbeck/Kokolopori Bonobo Research Project via AP)

Martin Surbeck/AP

This representation provided by Martin Surbeck shows bonobos resting and socializing connected a fallen histrion successful the Congo successful 2020. (Martin Surbeck/Kokolopori Bonobo Research Project via AP)

Martin Surbeck/AP

NEW YORK (AP) — Female bonobos find spot successful numbers, teaming up to fend disconnected males successful the wild, a caller survey finds.

Along with chimpanzees, bonobos are among humans' closest relatives. Scientists person agelong wondered wherefore bonobos unrecorded successful mostly female-dominated societies since the males are physically bigger and stronger.

Three decades of observations successful Congo — the lone spot the endangered bonobos are recovered successful the chaotic — lend enactment to the thought of a sisterhood wherever pistillate bonobos set unneurotic to asseverate their power.

These miss groups chased antheral bonobos retired of trees, securing nutrient for themselves, and females that grouped much ranked higher successful their community's societal ladder, researchers found.

“It’s precise wide that you don’t privation to overstep arsenic a antheral bonobo,” said survey writer Martin Surbeck from Harvard University.

Findings were published Thursday successful the diary Communications Biology.

Female bonobos' combined numbers look to crook the tide against a male's carnal strength, Surbeck said. It's 1 of the uncommon times specified a strategy has allowed females to travel retired connected apical successful the carnal kingdom. Spotted hyenas likewise find powerfulness successful groups.

Female bonobos linked up adjacent erstwhile they didn’t person adjacent ties, supporting 1 different against the males and cementing their societal standing. The observations amusement however pistillate bonobos enactment unneurotic to support themselves from antheral violence, said biologic anthropologist Laura Lewis with the University of California, Berkeley.

The findings enactment "the thought that humans and our ancestors person apt utilized coalitions to physique and support powerfulness for millions of years," Lewis, who was not progressive with the research, said successful an email.

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April 24, 2025|Updated April 24, 2025 10:05 a.m.