The researchers determined that when chimps groomed each other or shared other types of foods, such as fruit and nuts, males didn't improve their mating records. In fact, "grooming is mainly exchanged for grooming," Gomes said. She and her colleague also controlled for other possible influencing factors, such as a chimp's social rank. Craig Stanford, a professor in the departments of anthropology and biological sciences at the University of Southern California, has conducted related studies on chimps. He told Discovery News that this latest research presents "a very insightful analysis." Anthropologist Michael Gurven at the University of California at Santa Barbara believes "the study results are convincing." But, he added, they raise many important questions. "If hunting and meat-sharing improve male mating success, why don't more males do it more frequently? If no additional benefits accrue by sharing minimal amounts to females, why do males share more than the minimum?" Gurven asked. He added that "one powerful result suggesting that meat-for-sex in humans is reflective of long-term pair bonds rather than just market exchange is that older men continue to hunt and share meat with their post-menopausal wives who are incapable of further reproduction." Related Links: Discovery News Blog: Born Animal |
advertisement
Put Discovery News on Your Site!
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
