Why a chimp 'civil war' shows how societies collapse
4/24/202614 min
In the mid-1970s, primatologist Jane Goodall witnessed something that changed her opinion of chimpanzees forever: A four-year conflict amongst the chimpanzees she was studying in Tanzania. Chimpanzees that knew each other started killing each other. It was essentially the primate equivalent of a civil war. And now, it’s happening again: Fighting within the largest known community of chimpanzees. NPR science correspondent Nate Rott helps us break down what’s going on and what it could tell us about how human communities can fall apart.
Read all of Nate’s story here.
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Emily Kwong· Host0:30
[gentle music] You're listening to Short Wave from NPR. Hey, Short Wave-ers, Emily Kwong here, and today's story starts with the late and legendary primatologist Jane Goodall. During her field work with chimpanzees in the mid 1970s, she witnessed something that changed her opinion of chimps forever.
Jane Goodall· Soundbite0:52
I used to think, well, they're, they're very like people but nicer. [laughs] And then I realized that when opportunity arises, they have this nasty, brutal side to them just like we do.
Emily Kwong· Host1:02
This is an interview Jane did with Terry Gross on Fresh Air back in 1993, and what Jane Goodall is referring to here is a four-year conflict that broke out amongst the chimpanzees she was studying in Tanzania. Chimps that knew each other started killing each other. It was essentially the primate equivalent of a civil war.
Terry Gross· Soundbite1:22
You know, when humans fight a war, you always wanna know what is the war about, what is the motivation, who is wronging who. Uh, when chimps