Friendship on the family: how the bonds of female chimposnière maintain living babies in nature

In the dense forests of Gombe, female chimpanzees that make strong friendships – not with the family, but with unrelated women – dramatically improve the chances that their babies will survive. A study of several decades revealed that social bond before birth, in particular by grooming and company, offers powerful protection against the harsh realities of infant mortality in the wild. Surprisingly, the presence […]