Science News9%
Ape cuddles could prevent conflicts 30%
By Meghan Rosen0%
7/21/2026, 11:01:00 PM
Keywords: Ape, Chimpanzee, Bonobo, Physical Touch, Stress Relief, Conflict Resolution, Social Behavior
BS Summary: This article contains 20 faulty reasoning types, including Unattributed Quote, Halo Effect, and Appeal to Authority, with Biased Writer Voice as the most egregious example at 26.2% saturation with 81 hits. Analysis detected 603 faulty-reasoning hits from 309 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 39.9% and a BS Rank of 30% (14,882 of 21,136 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 70.40% of the article peer group.
Hugs and kisses could help primates keep the peace.
Both chimpanzees and bonobos appear to use friendly physical touch as a way of easing tension among group members in stressful situations, researchers report July 22 in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Embraces, pats, hand-holding, genital touches, sticking fingers in each other’s mouths — these buddy-buddy behaviors form the social glue that helps groups stick together, says Zanna Clay, a primatologist at Durham University in England.
Scientists knew that chimpanzees and bonobos use physical touch to resolve conflicts and offer comfort in times of distress.
But Clay’s team noticed that the animals were also getting friendly when no fighting had occurred, says Jake Brooker, a primatologist now at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
He wondered if apes used cuddles to prevent conflicts, not just resolve them.
The researchers observed five different groups of chimps or bonobos in sanctuaries in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They filmed the animals before, during and after offering them a limited number of peanuts.
When the apes learned about the incoming treats, they’d get nervous and excited, Brooker says.
That’s because there weren’t enough peanuts for everyone to eat their fill.
But the more friendly touches the animals shared before feeding, the more likely they were to eat together in peace, the team found.
That trend held true for bonobo and chimp groups alike.
Chimps often get a bad rap, Clay says; they’re known for being surly and aggressive, while bonobos are considered the ape world’s free-loving hippies.
The team’s results suggest the two species may be more similar than people think.
Clay can’t say for sure whether touchy-feely behaviors help apes tolerate one another — or if more tolerant groups just tend to touch each other more.
But, she says, it’s probably a two-way street.
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100%flagged-word coverageZanna Clay
92 attributed words62% of attributed speech78% writer coverage
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