My Family and Other Monkeys

The Secret Lives of Great Apes

Did you know that our closest relatives in the animal kingdom have wildly different lifestyles? Bonobos are the peace-loving diplomats of the jungle, always solving disputes with hugs and cooperation. Chimpanzees? They’re the fiery strategists, forming alliances and sometimes waging wars. Gorillas are the calm family folks, sticking to their small, close-knit groups led by a silverback. And orangutans? The true introverts, happily spending most of their time alone in the treetops.

To understand more about yourself, you can look at your closest relatives. In the case of humans, the four closest ones have survived all the meat grinders of history together with us: chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans and gorillas. Let's take a closer look at their lifestyles.

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) live in societies called communities or "free-roaming" groups. Group sizes typically range from 20 to 150 individuals.

Groups are led by an alpha male, who achieves leadership through strength, charisma, and the ability to form alliances with other males. Males play a major role in the social hierarchy and form coalitions to maintain their power.

They are territorial and actively defend the boundaries of their territory from other groups. Females are less closely associated with the group, as they often leave their natal group after reaching sexual maturity (at the age of 12-14 years) and move to another.

Their role in the hierarchy is less pronounced, but older females can be influential. Females reproduce with several males of the group, which reduces the likelihood of aggression from males towards their offspring (after all, anyone can be a potential father).

The life of chimpanzees is accompanied by frequent conflicts. Their interactions can be both peaceful (for example, grooming) and aggressive, up to and including intergroup wars.

The society of bonobos (Pan paniscus) is much more peaceful and cooperative. Group size ranges from 20 to 100 individuals. In bonobos, females, especially older ones, play the most important role. They form alliances and control the social life of the group, limiting the aggression of males. Although males remain physically stronger, their status often depends on the relationship with their mother (matriarchy).

Sexual contact plays an important role in resolving conflicts, strengthening social bonds, and reducing stress. Grooming and other forms of tactile interaction are also important for maintaining harmony.

As in chimpanzees, females mate with different males, but in bonobos, the emphasis on peaceful interaction makes mating more of a social practice. Unlike chimpanzees, bonobos are less territorial and are friendly to strangers. Bonobos use sexual and social rituals to maintain peace and harmony within the group. Conflicts are minimal.

Gorilla group size is usually between 5 and 30 individuals.

A group consists of one dominant male, several females and their offspring. Role of the dominant male: The silverback (an adult male with silver fur on his back) is the leader of the group. This male protects the group, makes decisions about movement and is responsible for security. His authority is based on strength, but also on caring for the members of the group. If a male loses leadership, a new silverback often takes over the group.

Females focus on raising their offspring. They may have close relationships with the dominant male, but they also form bonds with each other, especially if they are raising children.

Upon reaching sexual maturity, young males (known as "blackbacks") may leave the group to start their own or become part of a bachelor group.

Females give birth to one baby every 4 to 6 years. The cubs are closely associated with their mother until they are 3-4 years old, but may maintain emotional ties with her even after that.

Orangutans lead a solitary lifestyle. Orangutans spend most of their time alone. Meetings between individuals happen, but rarely. Usually it is a mother with a baby, a male with a female during the mating season, or groups that gather in resource-rich areas.

The main and most stable social unit is a mother with a baby. Females spend up to 7-8 years with their offspring, teaching them survival skills: how to find food, build nests, avoid danger. The maternal bond is very strong; the baby remains with the mother even after weaning.

Males are divided into two types: adult dominant males (with large facial discs, "flanks") lead a territorial life and compete for access to females.

Small males (without discs) are less aggressive and do not compete for dominance. They sometimes use the tactic of secret mating.

Dominant males use vocalizations (long calls) to attract females and mark their territory.

Females are less territorial than males, but still maintain a defined range, which may overlap with the territories of other females or males. Females usually stay close to their mother's territory, while males move far away to avoid competition.

Males defend their territories from other dominant males. Females may cross paths with each other, but conflicts are rare.

Orangutans feed primarily on fruits, and their solitary lifestyle is due to the need to avoid competition for food. In the jungle, resources are often unevenly distributed, making it impossible for large groups to coexist.

Females choose their mates, preferring dominant males.

Small males sometimes achieve mating by force, which is unusual for other great apes. Orangutans have one of the longest periods of parenthood of any mammal. Mothers pass on a huge amount of knowledge about behavior, forest navigation, and foraging to their children. Orangutans are very smart. They use tools, learn by observation, and can even imitate human behavior.

Figure 1: Social Structures of Great Apes

This infographic illustrates the differences in the social organization of great apes. The bar chart represents the average group size (individuals) for each species: bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. The blue line indicates the complexity of their social behavior as a percentage, while the green line shows their territoriality levels. Bonobos and chimpanzees form the largest and most socially complex groups, whereas gorillas maintain smaller family-based groups, and orangutans live mostly solitary lives.

The closest to humans of the quartet are bonobos. What pulled humanity out of the sweet matriarchy into the abyss of shepanzo masculinity and aggression? I hope to find the answer in the following posts.