Study says Chimpanzees show objects to others, just like humans to simply grab attention

According to new research, Chimpanzees, like humans, show each other objects just for the sake of getting attention.

The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences uses the example of ‘Fiona,’ a wild adult chimp in Uganda’s Kibale National Park.

Fiona can be seen in a video taken during the study picking a leaf, examining it, and then shoving it under her mother Sutherland’s nose for a brief moment before snatching it back.

‘She’s not offering it for food. She doesn’t want her mum to do anything,’ said Prof Katie Slocombe, a co-author of the study.

‘She just wants them to look at it together, and be like ‘Oh, cool, nice!’,’ added Slocombe.

The behaviour, previously thought to be unique to humans has intrigued scientists who believe that Chimpanzees might be much closer to humans than we had earlier predicted.

Alternative explanations for the behaviours such as food sharing and playing or initiating grooming, were ruled out by the scientists. They claimed that if the goal had been to share food, Fiona would have given up the lone leaf, but she did not.

The team of researchers have only recorded one instance of such behaviour but they are optimistic that similar examples can be found in future or previously collected footage.