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Primatology.net @primatology.net · 2d

New research shows that ancient “toothpick grooves” also occur in wild primates, suggesting they formed naturally—not from tool use. Even our oldest dental marks may be more biology than culture. #Anthropology #Dentistry #Evolution #Primates www.primatology.net/p/the-toothp...

The Toothpick Myth: What Wild Primates Reveal About Ancient Human Teeth

A new study finds that the small grooves once thought to prove “toothpick” use in early humans also appear naturally in wild primates—suggesting a far less cultural, and far more biological.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · 7d

Thank you, Jane, for making us see our primate kin, and for being a true inspiration. The fight for the planet continues, inspired by your legacy. 🌳💔

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · 7d

She revolutionized ethology, proving that respect and patience open up worlds. From Gombe to global stages, her work as a conservationist and founder of Roots & Shoots changed everything.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · 7d

We're heartbroken to share that Jane Goodall has died. She wasn't just a scientist; she was an iconoclast who showed the world that chimps have tool-making, complex emotions, and families... just like us.

#JaneGoodall #Chimpanzees #Conservation #RootsAndShoots #Legend

Jane Goodall, chimpanzee expert and animal rights campaigner, dies age 91 - follow live

The campaigner, a

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · 9d

Mushrooms aren’t just for humans. In Tanzania’s Issa Valley, baboons, chimpanzees & monkeys rely on fungi to navigate food scarcity—offering clues to early human diets. #Anthropology #HumanEvolution #Primates #Foraging www.primatology.net/p/how-primat...

How Primates in Tanzania Reveal the Hidden Role of Mushrooms in Early Human Diets

New research from the Issa Valley in western Tanzania shows how three primate species carve out unique food niches—and why fungi may have been more central to human evolution than once thought.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · 14d

New research suggests primates evolved in cold, seasonal habitats—not tropical forests. This climate-forged adaptability shaped the lineage leading to humans. #Anthropology #Archaeology #HumanEvolution #Primates #PNAS www.primatology.net/p/from-ice-t...

From Ice to Tropics: How Early Primates Conquered the Cold

New fossil evidence and climate models reveal that our earliest primate ancestors thrived in seasonal, cold landscapes before moving into the tropics.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · 18d

Wild chimps consume the equivalent of ~2 drinks daily from fermenting fruit. This new study links our alcohol tolerance to a deep primate past. #Chimpanzees #Evolution #Anthropology #AlcoholOrigins

Chimps and the Ancestry of Alcohol: What a New Study Reveals About Our Shared Evolutionary Past

A new study finds that wild chimpanzees regularly consume alcohol from fermenting fruit, reshaping our understanding of primate diets and the deep roots of human drinking behavior.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · 19d

Young Sumatran orangutans learn to build treetop nests by watching their mothers, proving that “know-how” and “know-what” pass culturally. Culture lives in the canopy. #Primatology #Orangutans #HumanEvolution

Learning in the Canopy: How Young Orangutans Master the Architecture of Survival

Peering, Practice and the Cultural Life of Wild Apes

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Sep 7

Humans and chimps don’t share 99% of their DNA after all. New genome research shows the difference may be closer to 15%, with regulatory switches—not proteins—shaping what makes us distinct. #Anthropology #HumanEvolution #Genomics

Beyond the 99%: What Ape Genomes Really Tell Us About Being Human

New complete ape genomes reveal that humans and chimpanzees are more different than the textbook 98.8% suggests — and those differences may matter most in the hidden parts of our DNA.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Aug 28

Lemurs didn’t diversify in one big leap. A new study finds multiple bursts of speciation—fueled by hybridization—shaped Madagascar’s primate diversity into the Pleistocene. What does this mean for evolution and conservation? #Anthropology #PrimateEvolution #Lemurs

When Lemurs Took the Long Road to Diversity

New research shows Madagascar’s primates didn’t diversify in one great leap, but in a series of evolutionary surges—with hybridization playing a surprising role.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Aug 20

A bonobo named Kanzi can mentally track multiple hidden caregivers—matching voices to faces and locations. A glimpse into the deep roots of social intelligence. #Bonobos #HumanEvolution #Anthropology #Primates #Primatology #PrimateBehavior

Out of Sight, Still in Mind: What a Bonobo Tells Us About the Evolution of Social Intelligence

A single ape’s memory game offers fresh clues about how humans and our closest relatives keep track of each other

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Aug 17

Chimpanzees learn to blend sounds and gestures from their mothers, not fathers. New research in Uganda suggests maternal “communication templates” shaped ape societies for millions of years. #Primates #HumanEvolution #Anthropology #Primatology #Chimpanzee #Linguistics #Communication

Mothers as Communication Teachers: What Young Chimpanzees Reveal About the Deep Roots of Human Language

A new study from Kibale National Park shows that chimps learn how to combine gestures and vocalizations from their mothers, not their fathers—pointing to maternal influence as an ancient foundation

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Aug 13

Female mountain gorillas choose new groups based on old friendships, often reuniting with familiar females after years apart—showing deep-rooted social bonds in our great ape cousins. #Primatology #Gorillas #AnimalBehavior

When Female Gorillas Move, Friendship Matters

How old bonds shape the shifting social world of Gorilla beringei beringei

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Aug 1

Primate teeth record daily histories of rainfall, drought, and dehydration. A new study shows how oxygen isotopes in enamel can reconstruct climate week by week, unlocking secrets of ancient migration. #Anthropology #Paleoecology #Primatology #TeethAsTimeCapsules

Molars, Monsoons, and Migration: What Primate Teeth Reveal About Ancient Climates

A new study tracks rainfall and water stress in the lives of primates—week by week—through stable isotopes in tooth enamel. The implications reach deep into the past of human and primate evolution.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jul 31

Why do humans feast and drink together? New research suggests it started 10 million years ago—when apes scrumped fermented fruits off the forest floor. 🍌🍷 #Anthropology #Primates #HumanEvolution #Feasting #Alcohol #Scrumping

Scrumping Apes and the Ancient Roots of Human Feasting

How fallen fruit, fermentation, and social sharing shaped our evolutionary appetite

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jul 29

New study on Issa Valley chimpanzees shows bipedalism may have evolved in trees, not just on the ground. Foraging needs in open woodlands kept apes climbing. Rethinking human origins? 🐒🌳 #HumanEvolution #Primatology #Anthropology #Archaeology #Bipedalism

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jul 16

Elderly wild chimpanzees show steep, uneven declines in tool use. A 17-year study finds aging affects not just strength but cultural memory. Could this mirror aging in early hominins? #Primates #Anthropology #HumanEvolution #ToolUse #Chimpanzees

Stone, Nut, and Memory: How Old Age Shapes the Technological Lives of Wild Chimpanzees

A new study reveals how elderly chimps slowly withdraw from one of their most iconic cultural behaviors, stone tool nut cracking, & what this might tell us about the of aging and skill loss in humans

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jul 13

Chimpanzees in Zambia have started a new trend: sticking blades of grass in their ears and butts. It’s not grooming. It’s fashion. And it's spreading. #Primates #AnimalCulture #Chimpanzee #SocialLearning #Primatology #PrimateCulture #AnimalBehavior

The Grass-Fashioned Chimpanzees of Zambia

What a Blade of Grass Can Teach Us About Primate Culture

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jul 8

New primate research shows female dominance is not an exception but a recurring pattern in species with monogamy, arboreality, and less sexual dimorphism. Patriarchy may not be as "natural" as once thought. #Primates #Anthropology #GenderRoles @pnas.org

Power and the Primates: Rethinking Dominance Between the Sexes

What intersex aggression in primates reveals about the evolution of gender roles

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jun 30

Chimp moms with strong female friendships are more likely to raise surviving babies—even without kin. New research from Gombe reshapes how we think about social bonds and infant survival. #Primates #Anthropology #Evolution #Gombe #Chimpanzees

The Company She Keeps: How Chimpanzee Friendships Shape Infant Survival

A new study of wild chimpanzees finds that social moms raise stronger babies—even without family ties

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jun 28

Why do humans "baby talk"? A new study shows we're the only great ape that does so regularly—and it may have shaped the evolution of language. #PrimateCommunication #HumanEvolution #BabyTalk #Anthropology #Linguistics #CognitiveScience @carolinefryns.bsky.social @franziswegdell.bsky.social

Why Humans Talk to Babies: The Evolutionary Puzzle of Infant-Directed Speech

Among all great apes, only Homo sapiens showers its infants with babbling, cooing, and high-pitched “baby talk.” A new study shows just how rare—and recent—this trait may be.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jun 24

Chimpanzees and preschoolers both choose social scenes over snacks—some even pay for the drama. This shared ‘nosey’ behavior hints at deep evolutionary roots in our lineage. #Primatology #ChildDevelopment #EvoAnthropology

A Shared Fascination: Social Curiosity in Pan troglodytes and Human Children

A new lens on our evolutionary past

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · Jun 1

Chimpanzees in West Africa strike stones against trees in rhythmic displays. Is it dominance? Culture? Long-distance calls? A new study hints at the roots of communication. #Chimpanzees #AnimalCulture #Primatology #Evolution #Sound

Stone, Sound, and Signal: Chimpanzees and the Drums of the Forest

What stone-throwing chimpanzees in West Africa reveal about the roots of culture, communication, and noise-making among our primate cousins.

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · May 28

How did Mozambique’s baboons and vervets respond to Cyclone Idai? A new study shows primate resilience to extreme climate events—hinting at the evolutionary past of adaptability. #PrimateBehavior #ClimateChange #Gorongosa #Anthropology #Evolution

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Primatology.net @primatology.net · May 21

On a remote Panamanian island, capuchin monkeys are abducting howler infants—and no one knows why. Ritual? Innovation? Boredom? A haunting look into primate minds. #Primatology #MonkeyBehavior #Anthropology #Cognition #Capuchins #CurrentBiology @currentbiology.bsky.social

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